ã€ŠLook What You Made Me Do [MCU Wanda-SI/OC]ã€‹


 Chapter 1

    I took a deep breath as the sound of a second explosion¡ªstill distant, but closer than the first¡ªfiltered in from outside. The PA system crackled to life a moment later and Baron Strucker¡¯s voice, edged with tension, sounded out across the fortress. ¡°Report to your stations immediately. This is not a drill! We are under attack!¡±

    This was it, wasn¡¯t it? It had to be. What I¡¯d been waiting for. I felt Pietro¡¯s hand on mine suddenly, squeezing gently, and I looked over at him. His expression was severe, blue eyes locking with mine and then flicking sideways in an unspoken question. No wisecracking today. Seeing him look so serious put me more on edge than I already was, reminding me uncomfortably of how he¡¯d been in the immediate aftermath of receiving his powers.

    I squeezed back and risked a smile that was probably too strained to be reassuring.

    Around us, foot soldiers armed themselves, grabbing assault rifles from weapon racks, their heavy-booted feet echoing through the halls as they rushed to the base¡¯s defence. I tugged on Pietro¡¯s hand, leading him past them and up a spiral staircase toward the main command centre. The room was a hive of activity, HYDRA personnel poring over screens displaying live satellite imagery and other sensor readouts as they gave the men in the field tactical feedback, trying vainly to outmanoeuvre the attacking force.

    We arrived more or less at the same time as the Baron himself. Strucker normally cut an intimidating figure¡ªshaved head, hawklike nose, dressed in his customary all-black, with his augmented reality monocle implant the only real clue that he was more than a mundane military commander. Now, though, the concern plainly written across his face undercut the unflappable image he liked to project. He cornered a harried-looking comms officer as we watched. ¡°Who gave the order to attack?¡±

    The man fiddled with the handset he had been using a moment ago, nervously wringing it in his hands. ¡°Herr Strucker, it¡¯s the Avengers!¡± He looked lost, seemingly already resigned to the fact that HYDRA was going to lose here.

    Pietro and I hung back, keeping out of everyone¡¯s way as officers rushed back and forth. Dr List bustled past, pausing only to give us a small smile and nod of acknowledgement as he headed toward the Baron. The doctor looked out of place¡ªunremarkable jacket and sweater vest over a button-up shirt and tie that seemed more like office attire, not something you¡¯d expect the head of research at a top-secret Nazi research facility to wear.

    The comms officer was rescued by a soldier in full tactical gear: Lieutenant Ivanovi?, a heavily built, bullish man I¡¯d sparred against numerous times. He hefted an intimidating-looking rifle, leaning it against his shoulder as he addressed Baron Strucker. ¡°They landed in the far woods. The perimeter guard panicked.¡± Strucker nodded in response and Ivanovi? took it for a dismissal, heading quickly toward the exit to join the front line.

    Noticing Dr List, the Baron lowered his voice to speak to him. They were far enough away that I couldn¡¯t make out the words over the sounds of the busy command centre, but I already knew exactly what he was saying. A moment later, he turned back to the comms officer. ¡°Can we hold them?¡±

    The younger man looked back at him, eyes wide. ¡°¡­they¡¯re the Avengers,¡± he said, unable to keep the plaintive whine out of his voice.

    The Baron visibly stifled a sigh of frustration and started pacing the length of the room like a caged animal, calling out orders. ¡°Deploy the rest of the tanks, concentrate fire on the weak ones. A hit may make them close ranks.¡± A step back toward Dr List and he lowered his voice again, but the bitter frustration leaking into his words gave them enough volume to be heard over the bustle. ¡°Everything we¡¯ve accomplished¡­ we¡¯re on the verge of our greatest breakthrough.¡±

    List seemed almost unconcerned. He leaned in, eyes flashing. ¡°Then let¡¯s show them what we¡¯ve accomplished. Send out the twins.¡±

    Strucker looked over at Pietro and I, peering through his monocle. I wondered briefly what information was being displayed on the device¡¯s overlay. ¡°It¡¯s too soon,¡± he said, shaking his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s what they signed up for.¡±

    ¡°My men can hold them.¡± The Baron ended the discussion, holding my gaze for a moment longer before turning and stepping away. List followed after him, and their attention was no longer on us.

    I had no interest in staying to watch the rest of this play out. Instead, I tugged on Pietro¡¯s hand again and we retreated through a nearby open door. No one else was back here¡ªthis was where List and the other researchers had their primary workstations, not exactly somewhere that needed to be manned during an attack. I knew that List would follow us here soon enough, following Strucker¡¯s directive to try to erase all of their data before the Avengers could take custody of it, but we would be long gone by then.

    I moved toward the back wall, extricating myself from Pietro¡¯s grip so I could reach out and place both hands against the rough surface. I paused a moment, feeling the cool concrete blocks under my fingertips, then pushed firmly. A hidden mechanism activated and the wall slid out of the way, revealing a hidden passage.

    Pietro moved to my side, shifting impatiently from heel to heel. ¡°We should be out there, fighting,¡± he said, an edge of frustration creeping into his voice. ¡°We can beat them.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No. Strucker is many things¡ªmost of them unpleasant¡ªbut right now I think he¡¯s right. It¡¯s too soon. We aren¡¯t ready to win this fight. The important thing is the sceptre. We can¡¯t just let them take it.¡±

    Pietro frowned. ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Listen to me,¡± I said, turning to face him properly. ¡°You wanted to change the world, right? Strucker and List¡­ HYDRA. They don¡¯t care about us. You know that. They were using us, but we¡¯ve been using them as well. And now we¡¯ve gotten what we needed.¡± I lifted my hand, red energy swirling across the tips of my fingers. ¡°We don¡¯t need HYDRA anymore. We can do this ourselves.¡±

    He held my gaze for a few more moments, then set his mouth in a thin line and nodded.

    I pushed down a surge of guilt. Surrounded by HYDRA, Pietro had been the only real ally I¡¯d had for the last twelve months. He was the only person I could count on to have my back, and I was lying to him about who I was. Pretending to be his sister. Had maybe even killed his sister, even if unintentionally. I couldn¡¯t be completely honest with him right now. Maybe I never could.

    We headed through the secret door and down a long flight of stairs, heading deep into the bowels of the fortress, intermittent caged bulbs dimly lighting our way. Eventually, we reached the robotics laboratory¡ªthe place where all of the real research took place.

    The stairs exited into a cavernous room, probably originally intended to house several aircraft or similar-sized vehicles. Looming centrally, like a macabre parade float wreathed in work scaffolding and access platforms, was the giant corpse of a Leviathan¡ªone of the flying, whale-like creatures that the Chitauri used as siege weapons and troop transports during the Battle of New York. I ignored it. I¡¯d seen it plenty of times before, and it wasn¡¯t the reason we were here.

    I glanced at the rows of workbenches as I moved past, their robotic arms paused in the act of assembling partially-designed, incomplete humanoid drones. Strucker had been working on AI as well, even though it was completely orthogonal to the other research that had been carried out here. While Tony Stark was Ultron¡¯s creator in the original timeline, I had become increasingly convinced that that was only the case because his tech and knowledge base was significantly more advanced than HYDRA¡¯s. If the Avengers had left this place alone for another six months, I had no doubt that something similar would have been birthed here instead¡ªthough he would have been called¡­ I don¡¯t know. Nazi-bot or something.

    It was the sceptre. The reason we were here. I knew it had some sort of mind-influencing ability, something that drove people in contact with it to conflict. I had pre-committed myself to not using the artifact for any reason¡ªno matter how tempting it was. I¡¯d collect it, and later I would work out how to extract the Mind Stone from it, but until then I wouldn¡¯t use its powers or study it too closely. It was only a theory, but my guess was that it was a failsafe or trap of some kind created by Thanos. The Mind Stone itself wasn¡¯t evil or malevolent, but the blue gem it was currently embedded in channelled some of its power to constantly exert a minor influence on everyone nearby, heightening their aggression, impairing their decision-making, and making them very interested in developing AI with the sceptre¡¯s help.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    It was sitting relatively unprotected, hovering within a containment field, a three-dimensional holographic display of energy output and fluctuations steadily orbiting in a ring around it. The gem set in the sceptre¡¯s head glittered coldly with blue light, small discharges of electrical energy grounding themselves in the outer edges of the containment field.

    I stepped toward it, eyes fixed on my prize, and took another deep breath to steady myself. This was it. The first real point of divergence.

    I¡¯d had a long time to think this through. Honestly, there just didn¡¯t seem like any other way to reliably avert the AI¡¯s creation that didn¡¯t also risk creating a significant, unmanageable butterfly effect. I obviously wasn¡¯t going to mess with Tony¡¯s head the way Wanda did in the original timeline, but I also didn¡¯t think it had been completely necessary. The familiar designs of the drones on the tables around me was evidence enough of that.

    Would Tony Stark have created Ultron anyway, even without Wanda¡¯s influence? Maybe, maybe not. If I turned myself in and tried to join the Avengers, would they listen to me if I warned them? Steve Rogers might be sympathetic and he was opposed to messing with that sort of thing on principle, but that hadn¡¯t stopped Stark the first time around and I honestly didn¡¯t think the word of a HYDRA asset would be enough to sway him.

    In any case, even if I did surrender, and even if the Avengers did listen to me about the sceptre, then what? The next thing I¡¯d have to do is try to convince Thor that Loki had not actually died in front of him and had secretly replaced Odin, and I had no way of explaining how I knew that. And if I couldn¡¯t convince him, he¡¯d take the sceptre with him back to Asgard and it would end up right back in Loki¡¯s hands. Who knew what would happen from there? Butterflies on butterflies¡­ it all just seemed extremely risky, with too many variables that I had no control over. At least if I had the sceptre, then no one else had it.

    I closed my eyes for a moment, centring myself and silently willing my power to protect and insulate my mind. I had no real idea how to form proper mental protections yet¡ªI was still trying to puzzle out the more complex applications of my magic by trial and error¡ªbut hopefully my knowledge of the effect the sceptre could have, my pre-commitment to not using it, and my inexperienced attempt at protecting myself would be enough. Once I felt ready, I opened my eyes again and reached out, coating my hand in a corona of red, wispy energy as I plucked the artifact from its place.

    I stood still for a moment. Part of me had been vaguely expecting that picking up the sceptre would feel more dramatic, but the lab remained silent except for the occasional distant sounds of battle. Focusing inward, I thought I could feel thin tendrils of influence brushing the edges of my mind. A light touch, barely discernible unless you were expecting it¡ªeven with my foreknowledge telling me it was probably real, it would be easy to dismiss as my imagination. Maybe it was. Still, I did my best to try to push it away, reinforcing what I was hoping were sufficient mental defences.

    ¡°So we¡¯re leaving?¡± Pietro asked, his voice low and tinged with frustration. He was still itching for an excuse to go out and face the Avengers.

    I turned to him and nodded. ¡°Sorry, just being careful. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Hugging the sceptre to my chest, I let Pietro scoop me up in a bridal carry, tucking my body into his as closely as possible, and braced my head and neck against his shoulder so I wouldn¡¯t get whiplash. Once I¡¯d prepared myself, I squeezed his arm to let him know I was ready.

    The wind hit me immediately. I squeezed my eyes shut to protect them, feeling the world move around me at a pace I was not built to experience it at. Being carried like this wasn¡¯t exactly the most dignified way of getting around, but it was the most reliable way for the both of us to get out of here without being caught¡ªall I had to do was hang on and try not to throw up.

    --

    Twelve months earlier¡­

    I struggled to pull myself upright, gasping and groaning into consciousness like an oxygen-starved diver breaching the surface of the ocean. My limbs responded oddly¡ªsluggishly, but also strangely in a way I couldn¡¯t quite place. Excited voices chattered above me and I blinked away the spots from my vision to see two men I didn¡¯t recognise leaning over me, their outlines silhouetted against the harsh electric lighting above. My back hurt, and I was lying on¡­ metal grating of some kind?

    I was completely lost. I had no idea where I was or how I¡¯d gotten here. The last thing I remembered was being at home, curled up in my bed.

    One of the men¡ªthe bald one¡ªsaid something to me I couldn¡¯t understand, leaning in. A hand roughly grabbed my face and pulled an eyelid open as he peered at me. I recoiled from his grasp and smacked my head against the grating, forcing another groan of pain from my lips.

    ¡°What?¡± I said groggily. ¡°Where¡­ who¡­?¡± I was struggling to form sentences. My tongue felt odd in my mouth and there was something naggingly wrong with the sound of my voice.

    The other man, younger with floppy hair, put a hand under my shoulder and helped me into a sitting position. ¡°What happened? How do you feel?¡± He had a vaguely German-sounding accent. ¡°We need to get her into isolation, now.¡±

    Hair fell into my face and I sputtered and pushed it out of the way before freezing up for a moment. Was that my hair? It couldn¡¯t be, my hair was short, but pulling at it experimentally only succeeded in tugging my head to the side.

    ¡°She¡¯s disoriented,¡± the bald one said, not waiting for me to respond. Instead, a hand hooked under my armpit and pulled me to my feet. I let them manhandle me, mind racing, in what I presumed was a state of shock. The metal floor was cold on my bare feet¡ªI was standing on a walkway of some kind, in a long room with a mirrored wall at one end and some sort of odd device off to one side, one metal arm sticking out with a blue light glowing at its tip. The two men with me were wearing plain jackets and sweater vests over button-up shirts and ties, their boring office attire seemingly completely incongruous with the concrete-and-metal facility we were in.

    I almost immediately fell over again, but the younger man hooked his hand under my elbow, propping me up as I was turned and guided toward a large metal door. Everything felt wrong. The way my limbs moved, my balance, everything. Out of nowhere it struck me as bizarre that the two men were both noticeably taller than me. I was wearing some sort of loose-fitting, dark grey dress or medical robe with what seemed like nothing underneath it, but again, things felt wrong, the material brushing against my skin in ways I wasn¡¯t accustomed to.

    One of the men opened the door ahead of us, and we were suddenly through into what looked like some sort of cramped waiting room, metal benches lining the walls. A heavily armed guard was here, in full tactical gear with an assault rifle slung casually from a harness. They bustled me through before I could really take it in and guided me out into a hallway, past another two guards, and through another door into a tiny room. It seemed like everything was just a bit bigger than I¡¯d expect¡ªthe top of the doorframes a little too far away, the ground a little too close.

    There was an old-looking, boxy TV in a bracket high on the wall, playing some old show at low volume. I was sat down on an uncomfortable metal bench¡ªthe room¡¯s sole piece of furniture aside from the TV¡ªand the two men retreated, closing the solid-looking metal door behind them. I was alone.

    The bench I was on was bolted to the floor and there was a bar running along the length of it, like something you¡¯d secure inmates in a jail to. Daylight filtered in from a tall window on one side of the room, a metal mesh visible inside the glass. A stone wall lay outside, barely a foot distant from it, giving me no clues as to where the hell I was. The room itself was small, with the stone exterior wall contrasting sharply with newer concrete blocks dividing what at one point must have been a larger room into what I could only describe as a cell. A security camera was mounted on the wall next to the TV, its lens focused on me.

    I pressed my hands to my forehead, willing my muddled brain to sort itself out, then paused and pulled them away again so I could look at them. My hands were unfamiliar. More feminine. My mysteriously long hair had fallen into my face again as well, and I suddenly became more acutely aware of my body, what I could feel about it and, notably, what I couldn¡¯t. I surreptitiously squeezed my thighs together, feeling both an absence and something new I wasn¡¯t used to.

    Huh.

    The shapeless grey dress I was wearing did a good job of obscuring my figure, and had made it so that my initial grogginess and disorientation had made it difficult to work out what was wrong with me. Now that I was starting to feel more alert and actually looking at myself properly, however, I felt a frisson of wonder. I experimentally touched my chest, first gently poking with a finger and then cupping it with both palms, confirming the presence of a pair of breasts that I very definitely did not have yesterday.

    Huh.

    I took a deep breath and thought back, poring over every bit of detail I could remember about where I was. One of the men had called me ¡®she¡¯. There was that device in the room I¡¯d woken up in, which was holding a metal rod with a blue glowing light set in its head. I looked up at the TV. It was angled down slightly, and there was some unidentifiable old sitcom playing on it, looking like something from the 70s or 80s. The TV itself had what I assumed was a brand name enamelled across the top of it, but it was in Cyrillic characters. Russian? Or¡­

    The excitement from discovering the changes to my body dulled as a slowly growing sense of doubt and trepidation overtook me. The details all seemed very familiar.

    I stood up, glancing back toward the top of the doorframe. It wasn¡¯t disproportionately high, I was just¡­ maybe 20 centimetres shorter than I was used to being. Still, the TV wasn¡¯t set so high that I wouldn¡¯t be able to reach it. I reached for it, going up on my tiptoes, and turned it off. I stared into the suddenly blank screen, taking in my reflection. The woman staring back at me had long, dark hair down past her shoulders, dark circles under her eyes, and I was pretty sure I recognised her.

    I was Wanda Maximoff. I¡¯d just been exposed to Loki¡¯s sceptre¡ªto the Mind Stone. I had powers. Powers I had no idea how to use. And I was trapped, alone, in a militarised research base filled with modern-day Nazis.

 Chapter 2

    Present day¡­

    I flopped down heavily on the bed, wincing internally when it creaked alarmingly beneath me, and sighed. Glancing toward the window of the tiny hotel room, I looked out at the steadily-darkening sky outside, silently willing Pietro to be back soon. A spring was poking me in the back, the threadbare mattress only marginally better than what I¡¯d gotten used to at the HYDRA research base, and I shifted a few times, trying to get comfortable. When that failed, I sat back up and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, looking around the room.

    The faded floral wallpaper, cracked ceiling, and chipped off-white paint was certainly a far cry from the height of luxury, but compared to concrete block walls and harsh metal fittings the cheap grimy hotel felt practically like a different world. There was even a little lamp on the bedside table.

    Even though these were probably the nicest surroundings I¡¯d had since I¡¯d arrived in this world, I still felt tense. Trapped. It had been two days since the Avengers attacked the HYDRA base, and we¡¯d spent that time laying low. Part of the reason the Avengers had attacked the HYDRA research base was specifically because Thor was trying to retrieve Loki¡¯s sceptre and, when they found it missing, they would almost certainly review the security footage and see us taking it. Like it or not, we were probably Avengers priority one at the moment.

    After a year stuck in a HYDRA facility, unable to move freely, I¡¯d gone ahead and stuck myself right back into a cage of my own making. I¡¯d spent so much time pacing back and forth over the past two days I unironically thought I might actually start wearing a hole in the carpet. It was different for Pietro, of course¡ªhis speed meant he could move a lot more freely than I could without too much risk of being caught.

    I retrieved my pen and notebook from where I¡¯d temporarily discarded them on the floor. The pad was one of the first things I¡¯d asked Pietro to get for me when we¡¯d settled in to hide and when I wasn¡¯t pacing, I was scrawling in it. I opened it, flipping past several pages of completely disorganised notes to a place a bit further in, where I¡¯d started rewriting my thoughts in a more structured way. Ideally, I¡¯d have gotten a laptop so I could organise things better, but Pietro hadn¡¯t managed that just yet. In any case, this place was so cheap it didn¡¯t have Wi-Fi, so I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do any of the research I wanted to do yet anyway.

    The first pages of the notebook were covered in scribbled notes on everything I could remember about the MCU. I¡¯d started with an approximate timeline of films and series¡ªthe exact order of some of it was a little fuzzy to me, but I did the best I could¡ªand branched out from there, including as much shorthand detail as I could. Important people and their current/future locations, where each of the Infinity Stones currently were, and anything else I could think of that might possibly be of help.

    Thanos and the stones loomed large over everything. I wanted to stop him if possible¡ªI didn¡¯t want to risk being Snapped away¡ªbut I had no way of getting ahead of him unless I worked out a way to get off-planet, which seemed daunting. The alternative was to focus on securing my position on Earth, holding onto the Mind Stone and fighting a defensive battle when he decided to show himself, per the original timeline. I wasn¡¯t keen on that as a plan, seeing as it didn¡¯t actually work.

    In the original timeline, Doctor Strange had put up a good showing against Thanos one-on-one, even though he¡¯d already collected four of the stones. I knew Wanda had the potential to become at least as strong as Strange, without even taking in account any extra advantages I might be able to wrangle for myself. I wasn¡¯t particularly interested in a knock-down superhero battle if I could help it, but it was reassuring to think that if it did come to that I might be able to arrange things so that I had the upper hand.

    Each stone was a threat multiplier for Thanos, so keeping even one out of his hands would make a significant difference. I had the Mind Stone already, Loki¡¯s sceptre currently stashed in a duffle bag tucked under the bed. The Time Stone was at Kamar-taj and reasonably safe. The Soul Stone was out of reach, most likely. Even if I were willing to sacrifice someone to get it¡ªwhich I wasn¡¯t¡ªthe only person I had was Pietro and, given our relationship, I had no guarantee that that would even work. The Power Stone was locked away on Xandar somewhere, and I wasn¡¯t sure where it was kept. The Space Stone was in Asgard¡¯s vault and was likely to stay there until Hela was freed.

    The Reality Stone¡­ I had no idea why Odin had thought it was a good idea to entrust the stone to the Collector, but as far as I was concerned the dude was basically just an asshole. If I could get to Knowhere, it seemed like it was the least well-defended, as well the one whose current custodian I had absolutely no qualms about kicking in the head if I needed to. Getting into space in the first place was still a problem, though, so I was back to square one on that for now.

    Even if and when I did manage to stop Thanos, there were a whole slew of other problems, the biggest of which¡ªboth literally and figuratively¡ªwas Tiamut. The Snap had explicitly delayed the Celestial¡¯s Emergence, and the more things diverged the less useful my foreknowledge was going to be and the more things could go wrong. Though the specifics of Eternals were a little hazy in my memory¡ªit was one of the few MCU films I had only actually seen once¡ªI did remember that overcoming the adversity caused by the Snap and going on to undo it was one of the things that the Eternals had held up as proof that humanity was worth fighting for.

    Take that away and things became unpredictable. If even one extra Eternal sided with Ikaris and Sprite, Sersi would probably not be able to stop the Emergence, and right now I couldn¡¯t see any other clear route to preventing it outside of something like the Infinity Gauntlet. Technological solutions didn¡¯t seem like they¡¯d be able to match the sheer scale of the problem. I had telepathy and mind control in my magical toolkit, but I doubted I¡¯d be able to put Tiamut to sleep permanently myself. Maybe the Ancient One would have some better ideas?

    Taking on a Celestial, even just a newborn, seemed daunting. And even if we succeeded, what then? Arishem would definitely come to find out what had happened. It was one thing for him to spare the Earth when his pet Eternals killed Tiamut in the original timeline, but what would his reaction be if that wasn¡¯t the case? Was there any chance at all we could stop him if he decided to exterminatus us in response? Dude was literally the size of a planet.

    I took a break from my notetaking to close my eyes, pressing the heels of my hands against my temples. I could just run. Once I stopped Thanos, I could just give up on Earth entirely and find somewhere else in the universe to retire. Maybe I could find a nice place on Xandar or something and settle down. I didn¡¯t actually need to be a hero. I was already getting a second chance in another universe, complete with rockin¡¯ new bod and magical superpowers. I could do whatever I wanted to.

    I sighed and opened my eyes again. One problem at a time.

    First, I needed resources. I had no allies beyond Pietro, and we had no base of operations or assets. We also had no way to research things beyond basically just Googling them, so it was going to be an uphill battle to find things when I wasn¡¯t sure of exact locations. Even when I did know where something or someone was, we didn¡¯t have any secure transportation. Even if we stole something for overland travel, neither of us knew how to fly a plane, so we¡¯d be stuck using civilian transport which risked getting us flagged and intercepted by the Avengers, who would be looking for us.

    The Avengers were an awkward problem. Working out a way to join them in a trusted capacity would be ideal and put me in a position where I could just point a powerful group of good guys at problems. Only I couldn¡¯t see any way of doing that safely or reliably just yet. They would have looked through HYDRA¡¯s files by now, which meant they knew about Wanda and Pietro Maximoff and our backgrounds and, knowing we¡¯d taken the sceptre, they¡¯d be starting from a baseline assumption that we were up to no good.

    Even when Wanda had joined them in the original timeline, she hadn¡¯t exactly been a super-trusted member of the team. Handing over the sceptre willingly might go a decent way to starting a friendly relationship, but would also immediately alienate my one actually dependable ally, and came with a risk that Ultron might be back on the table. I needed to establish myself first, and then I could reach out on a more even footing as an ally.

    With the Avengers being out of reach for now, I could think of two other factions that might be able to supply us with what we needed, both of which were worth investigating: Wakanda and Kamar-taj.

    Wakanda was tricky, of course, due to their isolationist nature, but the right approach might get us entry and maybe more. I knew that Ulysses Klaue was based near Johannesburg, and I was confident that Pietro and I were capable of taking down his operation. With any luck, the goodwill we¡¯d earn by handing Klaue and his stolen vibranium over to Wakanda would at least allow us to beg an audience with King T¡¯Chaka, and we could go from there. If I couldn¡¯t have access to Stark¡¯s tech, Wakanda¡¯s was the next best thing.

    Kamar-taj, on the other hand, would probably be easier to find. I honestly had no idea if I had the inclination or ability to be trained as a sorcerer, or how it would even interact with my chaos magic. The monastery was, however, a treasure trove of magical knowledge and might hold books on witchcraft in its libraries, which would be a welcome change from the trial and error I¡¯d been using up until this point. Given the only alternative source of learning about witchcraft that I knew of was Agatha Harkness and the Darkhold, it seemed like a pretty solid bet.

    Not only that, but a sling ring would easily be the single most useful asset I could get my hands on. Secure one of those and I¡¯d have on-tap instantaneous travel anywhere in the world. While Strange himself struggled initially with learning to use one, I guessed that that was mostly due to his background and mindset. At the other extreme was Ned, Peter Parker¡¯s friend¡­ and if a completely untrained natural talent could get one working by accident in less than a day without formal instruction, with any luck I should be able to pick it up given my own magical aptitude.

    While instant travel in and of itself was something worth seeking out, from what I could tell sling rings also seemed to work on a conceptual level. You could portal with pinpoint accuracy if you wanted to, but you didn¡¯t actually have to have been to the place you were travelling in order to call one up. Hell, you didn¡¯t even actually need to know the specific place you were going, you could call a portal up through association, by invoking a person, which made them even more useful than they already were.

    It was also at least theoretically possible to use them to travel interplanetary distances¡ªDoctor Strange had created a portal from Titan back to Earth in order to participate in the final battle against Thanos. Then again, that feat was never replicated and might have had some unique circumstances allowing it, but given my current lack of any other options for going off-planet, it wasn¡¯t something I could afford not to investigate.

    I was so utterly absorbed in my work that I didn¡¯t hear the footsteps outside the door, or the subsequent turn of a key in the lock. The door of the room swung open, and my heart immediately leapt into my throat as I dropped low into a combat stance, notepad dashed to the ground, swirling coronas of red energy flaring up around my hands.

    Pietro looked at me, grinning, as he carefully stepped into the room and used his foot to close the door again behind him, his hands filled with an assortment of bags. ¡°This a bad time?¡±

    ¡°Idiot,¡± I said, heaving a sigh of relief and letting my hands drop to my sides. The energy dispersed, but my heart was still racing. ¡°I could have killed you.¡±

    He shook his head, a small smirk curving one side of his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You¡¯re too slow.¡± He walked over to the foot of the bed and put the bags he was carrying down. ¡°We were careful, the Avengers won¡¯t find us that quickly. Here, have a bagel. You always get grumpy when you haven¡¯t eaten.¡±

    I rolled my eyes and accepted the bagel, my traitorous stomach choosing that moment to growl loudly. Pietro grinned and I glared at him, unwrapping the sandwich and taking a petulant bite from it as I sat back down on the bed. It made me even grumpier that the bagel was really, really good.

    It made sense from Pietro¡¯s perspective that I¡¯d be worried about the Avengers pursuing us¡ªwhich, fair enough, I was¡ªbut there was another threat looming that I was a bit more concerned about. However, I couldn¡¯t exactly tell Pietro that I¡¯d been jumpy since we abandoned HYDRA because I was worried that time travellers might come and erase us from existence.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    The Time Variance Authority. I was already going to be dropping the existence of magic on Pietro, and that was something I could at least show some evidence for. Time travel was a completely different matter. With any luck, I had nothing to worry about. I wasn¡¯t sure what the TVA¡¯s general response time was, but it had been two full days since we absconded with the sceptre. They¡¯d shown up to capture Loki pretty damn quick when he¡¯d gone off track, so if we hadn¡¯t seen them by now it hopefully meant that the Sacred Timeline wasn¡¯t a thing anymore. Or had never been a thing? Time travel is weird. I never know what the right tense to use is.

    ¡°You were gone longer than I expected,¡± I said before taking another bite.

    ¡°I made a few stops. Made a house call for Filip. The doctor will fill his prescription from now on¡ªno more insurance hassle.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± I looked at him accusingly. ¡°Just that?¡±

    Pietro grinned and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Like I said, a few stops.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh. So am I the only girl in Sokovia who doesn¡¯t get a pretty new dress from Paris, or¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± His grin turned sheepish for a moment before he held up a finger. ¡°Actually¡­¡± He fumbled through the bags at his feet for a moment before pulling out a chic, long-sleeved leather jacket. Waggling his eyebrows, he held it up for my inspection. ¡°Eh? Eh?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help it, I laughed. ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°And!¡± he said, draping the jacket over the foot of the bed and returning to the bags for a moment. After a second, he laid out a red dress and a pair of red leather Dr Martens next to it.

    ¡°Stompy boots,¡± I breathed reverentially, eyes wide.

    Pietro grinned again, shrugging airily. ¡°Of course, only the stompiest boots for my sister.¡±

    My smile faded a bit and I looked away. A moment later, there was a nudge at my shoulder and I took the proffered bottle of water gratefully, washing down the bagel that had already somehow mysterious disappeared into my stomach.

    I closed my eyes and let out a loud sigh, rubbing the centre of my forehead with a thumb. I was getting a headache. A moment later, I felt the bed shift as Pietro sat down next to me. I turned my head to look¡ªhe sat facing me, cross-legged, concern evident on his features. ¡°Wanda¡­ Are you okay?¡±

    I straightened up and gave a tight smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I lied. Pietro didn¡¯t respond. He just sat there, looking at me, until I wilted a bit under his gaze. ¡°There¡¯s just a lot I need to think about. Things are going to be even more dangerous from here on out.¡±

    Pietro leaned forward, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me into a hug. I tilted my head, resting it on his chest. I could hear his heartbeat, strong and even. ¡°And we¡¯ll face them together, like we always have,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m here, remember? You can talk to me. You don¡¯t have to do everything yourself.¡±

    I didn¡¯t realise how stiff I had been until I felt some of the tension leave my body. The hug was nice. ¡°I just¡­¡± I started, stopping immediately when I noticed a slight quaver in my voice. Okay, so twelve months of intense, borderline-abusive training by HYDRA, my ongoing paranoia that I¡¯d slip up and reveal something I shouldn¡¯t, a hurried flight that made us fugitives from both the good and bad guys, and constant, crushing feelings of isolation might be impacting my mental health a little.

    Pietro stayed quiet, letting me work through what I wanted to say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t really felt like I¡¯ve been able to talk to you freely, with HYDRA recording and dissecting every waking moment. When the sceptre awakened my powers, there was¡­ more. Something I¡¯ve been keeping to myself, that I couldn¡¯t let them know about.¡±

    I felt Pietro nod slowly. ¡°I thought it was just the memory loss. Ever since the sceptre changed us, you¡¯ve been¡­ different. I¡¯ve missed my sister.¡±

    I tensed up again. This was wretched. I couldn¡¯t tell him she was gone. I couldn¡¯t. I needed him.

    Pietro¡¯s hand moved from my shoulder and started gently stroking my hair. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he whispered. ¡°You¡¯re safe. I¡¯m here.¡±

    I swallowed, my tongue feeling thick and heavy in my mouth. Was I going to cry? A little, it seemed like. I blinked furiously, pushing back tears, and was only mostly successful. ¡°When I touched the sceptre,¡± I said slowly. ¡°I saw visions. People, places, events. The past and future. I saw the fall of SHIELD before it happened. I knew the Avengers would come; I saw what would happen if we¡¯d gone out to fight them when they attacked the base. I saw what would happen if they took the sceptre. I saw everything.¡±

    Pietro¡¯s hand stilled. ¡°¡­you saw the future?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°And not just that. Hidden secrets. Things I shouldn¡¯t be able to know. Our powers¡­ are different.¡± I pulled back slightly so I could look up at him. ¡°You were imbued with something, a spark, but for me it was like it woke up something that was already there. The sceptre just unlocked it. Sped it up.¡±

    ¡°And what does that mean?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I know this is going to sound crazy, but¡­ magic.¡±

    ¡°Magic?¡±

    The corner of my mouth quirked upwards. ¡°Not exactly I Dream of Jeannie, but yeah.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, that does sound a bit crazy,¡± Pietro said, half-smiling back. His brow was furrowed, though, his expression undecipherable.

    ¡°We live in a crazy world.¡±

    ¡°True enough.¡± He shrugged. ¡°But what does that mean? What¡¯s our next step? Are we going after Stark?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°There¡¯s a place with other people who can use magic: Kamar-taj. It¡¯s in Kathmandu.¡±

    ¡°Nepal? Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes, really. The leader there¡ªthe Ancient One¡ªI think she can help us. I can hopefully learn more about my powers, and she has experience dealing with artefacts like the sceptre.¡± I dropped my head back to his chest and sighed. ¡°There are a lot of ways forward, but I think this one has the best chance of working out.¡±

    We sat quietly for a little while. I listened to Pietro¡¯s heartbeat, feeling his chest rise and fall as he breathed. The gentle motion was soothing, and it didn¡¯t take long for my eyelids to start feeling a bit heavy. I yawned, and in response Pietro gave me a squeeze and ducked his head to kiss me on the forehead. ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know about magic or anything, but I¡¯m done waiting around. I trust you, you know? If you think we need to do this, then we¡¯ll do it.¡±

    --

    Four months earlier¡­

    Marvel did Wanda dirty.

    I remember leaving the cinema thinking that after the disappointing finale of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It wasn¡¯t a terrible movie, exactly, or at least it wasn¡¯t the worst one Marvel had put out. Still, I¡¯d been hyped for it and had been let down by the arc they had put one of my favourite characters through.

    And now I was here, looking at my reflection in a dirty mirror in a tiny, grey-brick bathroom and seeing Wanda Maximoff staring back at me. It was like Kevin Feige and Sam Raimi had heard my disappointment and drop-kicked me across the multiverse in response, putting me here as if to say, ¡°Go on, then. You do a better job.¡±

    I held a hand up in front of me. I could feel the power, bubbling away below the surface, and it took only the slightest effort of will for a faint swirl of red energy to play across my fingers. I had no idea how to really explain what I was doing¡ªthe actual mechanics were beyond me for now, though I¡¯d spent long months learning how to control it rather than have it express itself randomly whenever I got emotional.

    Flexing my fingers, I gestured toward the side of the sink. The toothbrush rose up and threaded through the air, guided by the tendrils of misty red energy weaving between my fingers. It had been surprisingly easy to work out basic control. The gestures significantly helped when directing the magic inside of me¡ªrefining the movements was extremely intuitive, my fingers naturally finding the rhythm depending on what I was trying to do. They seemed like a crutch to me, and I knew that Wanda had eventually been capable of shielding herself without even looking in the direction she was being attacked from, but I needed a lot more practice to get to that point.

    That had always been one of Wanda¡¯s major issues. For the longest time she didn¡¯t know she was a witch, didn¡¯t know she was using magic, and didn¡¯t know what she was potentially capable of. She had just been making it up as she went along. I, on the other hand, had already seen Wanda at her strongest: a near-unstoppable force that neither the combined might of Kamar?taj nor the Illuminati could hold a candle to. I had seen the versatility and power of her magic. I couldn¡¯t imagine what would have been possible if she had sought out proper training.

    Initially, I had had no idea what to do. This research base was where Wanda had first learned to control her power, so I was just following in her footsteps for now. The original timeline was¡­ okay. All the villains were eventually defeated in the end and the world survived. A lot of people had died, though, or worse. Planets destroyed, even. I¡¯d spent a lot of time thinking about what I should do¡ªwhether I should just follow along for the most part, playing the role of Wanda and hoping everything works out as normal, diverging only so far as to not walk the original¡¯s road to villainy. It seemed like a dangerous assumption, to think that everything would play out exactly the same.

    I looked back up at the mirror, once again searching the now-familiar green eyes for any trace of the woman whose body I had been thrust into. The abilities of the Scarlet Witch included a degree of telepathic ability, but no matter how I looked I couldn¡¯t find anything of her in my own mind. Was she gone? Dead? Did me coming here kill her? I had no idea how it was even possible for me to be here, so I had no context to work out if Wanda could be saved, or if it was too late for her.

    Pietro was worried about his sister. Dr List had diagnosed me with retrograde amnesia, but even beyond that I obviously hadn¡¯t been acting exactly like Wanda. Pietro had only grown more and more restless in the months since we¡¯d been introduced to Baron Strucker and more formally inducted into HYDRA. Maybe me being here had already altered things more than I thought.

    I finished brushing my teeth and winced when I put the toothbrush down, my ribs protesting slightly. Gingerly I took off my dress, lifting it up over my head and dropping it on the floor, then stripped out of my underwear. Standing naked in front of the mirror, I looked over the absolute mess of angry red and purple marks covering my body. On the one hand: gender euphoria. On the other: a gruelling training regime, overseen by literal Nazi taskmasters. I was never particularly good at motivating myself to exercise or stick with a difficult task, but you know what did wonders for one¡¯s motivation? A dozen HYDRA scientists monitoring every aspect of your existence, all dedicated to making you ¡®live up to your potential¡¯. Sorcerers hate her because of this one weird trick!

    There was a particularly bad-looking bruise on my side, a deep purple mark the size of a grapefruit spattered with the telltale darker spots of burst blood vessels and edged in sickly yellow. I touched it experimentally with my fingertips and let out a quiet hiss of pain. This past week had been particularly bad¡ªDr List had been so delighted with my progress at learning to shield myself that he¡¯d taken to pitting me against groups of a dozen soldiers at a time, their guns loaded with ¡®nonlethal¡¯ rounds. The exercises were intended to speed up my reflexes, make it so I could react instinctively to danger, shielding myself and lashing out without needing to consciously make the decision to do so. I wasn¡¯t there yet.

    Shaking my head, I stepped toward the shower and reached in to turn the water on. A few minutes later, I was standing under the spray, letting it wash over me and carry away the sweat and grime I¡¯d accumulated during the day. The water was colder than I¡¯d have liked it to be, leaving goosebumps rising on my skin, but it felt good on my bruises. Once I was done, I dried myself off, put on some fresh underwear and the light shift I wore to bed, and got ready to turn in for the night. At least my accommodations were a step up from the cell I¡¯d been kept in for my first few months here. Sure, it was still a cramped room with basically nothing in it but a fold-out canvas cot and set of drawers for my clothes, but at least I had my own little ensuite¡ªno door, unfortunately¡ªand the illusion of privacy.

    It was only an illusion, of course. I knew exactly where all five of the cameras were in the room, recording every single thing I did. I¡¯d seen the control room where they were monitored from, and heard the crude comments some HYDRA personnel made about me when they thought they were alone.

    Flicking the light switch, I lay down on the cot and pulled the blanket over me. Right up until her villainous turn, Wanda had insisting that she wasn¡¯t a witch and that she didn¡¯t know magic. I had a significant leg up on her¡ªwhile she obviously got a lot from the Darkhold, it was pretty obvious that a lot of things only took as long as they did for her to learn because she had no reason to even think she was capable of them. Turns out, it was actually incredibly difficult to teach yourself magic from scratch, especially when you didn¡¯t know what you ¡®should¡¯ be able to do. Who knew?

    I took a deep breath, calming my mind, and closed my eyes. A moment later I jerked forward, floating up, free of my body.

    The first time I had astral projected, a part of me had thought that my astral form might resemble my original body. I wasn¡¯t completely clear on what my astral form actually was, but given that¡ªin the original timeline¡ªBruce Banner still looked like himself when the Ancient One popped him out of the Hulk¡¯s body, I had assumed it was your soul or had some relation to your own self-image. However, given that my astral form looked exactly the same as my physical one, that couldn¡¯t be accurate.

    This had been my routine for the last few months. Each day, Pietro and I would face Dr List and his minions together. They¡¯d push us to the limit, forcing us to learn better control over our powers, to be stronger, faster, better. Each evening, I¡¯d collapse into bed a mess of aching muscles and bruises, and while my body rested I would slip into the ether, my astral form escaping my body to invisibly investigate the areas of the base that were off-limits to me, eavesdropping on Strucker and List whenever possible.

    Recently, however, I¡¯d added a new trick to my repertoire. I twisted in mid-air, looking down at my prone form, and focused my mind. There was a slight pressure, but I pushed through it and suddenly my vision was doubled¡ªI could still see myself lying down on the cot below me, but I could also see myself floating, translucent, in the air above me. It made me a bit dizzy, and moving too quickly like this was extremely disorienting, but I was slowly getting used to the feeling.

    Simultaneously, both versions of me raised an arm and summoned red wisps of energy across their fingertips. Forcing my body to move while I was astral projecting was intensely difficult¡ªeven just mirroring my astral self felt wrong, like I was trying to physically be in two places at once. The first time Wanda was even shown astral projecting on-screen, she was already capable of simultaneously doing something completely different with her physical body, seemingly effortlessly. I was still a long way off that, but this was my proof that I could push beyond Wanda¡¯s early limitations and I was determined to master it.

 Chapter 3

    Present day¡­

    After spending most of the last twelve months cooped up in the HYDRA research base, Kathmandu was a bit of a sensory overload. It wasn¡¯t a particularly large city¡ªits history and the crowds of people just made it feel a lot bigger than it actually was. Even though it was a little bit overwhelming, our first day there still felt more like a holiday than anything else. It felt really good to be able to be outside again, without having to be constantly looking over my shoulder.

    We found a nice hotel on the edge of the city¡ªpaid for with some cash Pietro had stolen along the way¡ªand then set out exploring, figuring it was a good idea to get the lay of the land before we started looking for Kamar?taj in earnest. I didn¡¯t feel comfortable leaving the sceptre unguarded, so its duffle bag stayed on my shoulder as we moved through the streets. There was a fair amount of people out and about, locals and tourists both, and the air was filled with the mingling aromas of exotic street foods and incense.

    Much to Pietro¡¯s annoyance, I was easily sidetracked marvelling at the city¡¯s array of temples, their ancient fa?ades colourfully painted or adorned with intricate carvings and fluttering prayer flags dancing in the breeze. I¡¯d always loved visiting these sorts of historic sites, and up until now my travels hadn¡¯t taken me to Kathmandu. We wasted more than an hour basking in the vibrant chaos of Durbar Square, the wide plaza sheltered by the looming shadow of the old royal palace, gorging ourselves on curry-dipped dumplings from a nearby stall.

    When we needed to stop and rest our feet¡­ well, when I needed to stop and rest my feet¡ªPietro hardly seemed to tire at all when moving at normal human speeds¡ªwe found pockets of tranquillity hidden between the busier parts of the city. Courtyards adorned with intricate wood carvings, insulated from the streets, the bustling background noise of the city fading to a gentle murmur mixed with the sounds of chanting from nearby temples.

    When it came down to it, I just didn¡¯t actually mind that I had no idea where Kamar?taj was. I could spend weeks here¡ªmonths even¡ªjust exploring and soaking up the culture, and be perfectly content. Despite the fact that the Avengers would definitely be looking for us, for some reason it just didn¡¯t feel like we were in that much of a rush. This was the first time in a long time that I felt free, like I could actually do whatever I wanted to. Part of me was even hoping it might take us a few days to find Kamar-taj, just so I could make the most of the opportunity to relax and recharge after the last year.

    When we retired to our hotel room for the evening, Pietro flopped down on his bed, stretched his arms out and wriggled into the mattress happily with a small smile. To be honest, I couldn¡¯t help but feel the same way. The hotel room was generic but homey, and was easily leagues better than the dump we¡¯d stayed at in Sokovia. We had two actual separate beds, with comfortable mattresses and everything. It felt a bit pathetic to be this happy about a comfortable mattress, but it had been so long since I¡¯d slept on one that part of me worried it¡¯d be too soft and I wouldn¡¯t be able to.

    ¡°So,¡± Pietro said, rolling onto his side so he could look over at me. ¡°We¡¯re looking for a magic monastery. I assume this isn¡¯t going to be easy as looking the place up?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately not. They don¡¯t advertise, and from the front the place doesn¡¯t look like much.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯ll know it when you see it?¡± he asked hopefully.

    I winced. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s pretty generic-looking so probably not, no.¡±

    ¡°¡­but you know where to find someone who knows where it is?¡± he asked, somewhat less hopefully.

    ¡°Also no.¡±

    He rolled his eyes and muttered something in Sokovian that I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Well,¡± he sighed. ¡°At least the street food is good.¡±

    ¡°But!¡± I said, holding up a finger. ¡°I do have a kind of plan that might work. I¡¯ll astral project this evening and take a look at the city from above. If I¡¯m lucky, I¡¯ll see a sorcerer or two flying about astrally and be able to work out where they¡¯ve come from.¡±

    ¡°And if you don¡¯t?¡± Pietro asked, looking at me sceptically.

    ¡°Then tomorrow we hit the streets and start asking people. And tomorrow night I¡¯ll try looking astrally again.¡± I shook my head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it takes a little while. This is important.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡±

    ¡°We should also talk about what to expect.¡± I said hesitantly. ¡°I want to ask the Ancient One to teach me, or at least share any knowledge they have about my type of magic. And I want to ask for advice about handling the sceptre.¡±

    Pietro frowned. ¡°Teach you? How long will that take?¡±

    I considered the question for a moment. It was a good one¡ªI had no idea exactly how much the Masters of the Mystic Arts knew about witchcraft, so it was really up in the air as to what they¡¯d be able to teach me about Wanda¡¯s innate powers. Could I be taught sorcery as well, independently of my chaos magic? I had no idea. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I hedged. ¡°It might be a while, depending.¡±

    ¡°And what if they say no? What do we do then? This might all be a massive waste of time,¡± he said, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that, too,¡± I admitted. ¡°With any luck, she¡¯ll just agree to help us.¡±

    ¡°And if she doesn¡¯t¡­?¡± Pietro gestured impatiently, wanting me to just hurry up and say what I was going to say.

    ¡°She will. Probably. But just in case¡­¡± I pulled my notepad out and held it up, showing him the¡ªadmittedly terrible; I¡¯ve never been a great artist¡ªdrawing I¡¯d done of a sling ring. ¡°Okay, see this? The people we¡¯re looking for will have rings like these, but probably won¡¯t be wearing them all the time. We want one. It¡¯s really, really important. If they aren¡¯t willing to teach me, we might have to steal one.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so important about the rings?¡±

    ¡°They use them to create portals,¡± I said, holding up one hand while swirling the other in imitation of a sorcerer using one of the rings. ¡°Anywhere they can picture. If I can learn to use one, we can go anywhere in the world in seconds.¡±

    Pietro looked at me for a moment, eyebrow raised, then shrugged. ¡°Okay, steal a ring. Easy.¡±

    ¡°They can do magic, remember? We need to be careful.¡±

    ¡°They can do the same sort of things as you? Blasts, shields? Mess with peoples¡¯ minds?¡±

    I made a so-so gesture with my hand. ¡°Sort of. These people have been studying it for a long time, and they have their own martial arts as well. They¡¯re going to have a lot more tricks than I do, though I think they prefer to create weapons out of magical energy to fight with. Oh, we need to be especially careful if they do anything that looks like it creates glass-like facets in the air¡ªthey do that, do not let yourself get caught it in. Okay?¡± The absolute last thing we needed was to get trapped in the Mirror Dimension.

    Pietro rolled his eyes, but nodded. ¡°Sure, glass facets bad. You think we¡¯re going to have to fight them?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said, shaking my head firmly. ¡°We don¡¯t want to fight them. We really, really don¡¯t want these people as enemies.¡±

    ¡°So why are you telling me we¡¯ll need to steal the ring?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± I threw up my hands, dropping my notebook into my lap. Pausing for a moment, I took a deep breath then looked at him seriously. ¡°Just in case. It¡¯s just in case. Um. So, in the spirit of ¡®just in case¡¯, I¡¯m pretty sure that for all of their really dangerous combat-type magic they need to do gestures and stuff with their hands, like I do.¡±

    ¡°¡­and?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, if the worst happens and we do have to fight them, basically¡­ if you break a sorcerer¡¯s arm, they¡¯ll have fifty percent less arms to do sorcery with.¡±

    Pietro snorted. ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Nothing I can think of.¡± Tucking my notebook away, I paused for a moment before looking back up at him. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m a little nervous,¡± I confessed.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°We could always go back to plan A.¡±

    ¡°Plan A?¡±

    He sat up and looked at me, eyes suddenly eager. ¡°We go after the Avengers. Kill Stark.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help the slight moue in response. While it was already going to be hard enough to try to get on friendly terms with the Avengers, I hadn¡¯t really managed to make any headway in the opposite direction, either. I just didn¡¯t really have anything but empty excuses and platitudes for Pietro when it came to Tony Stark. Without Ultron to unite against, it was going to be far harder to conjure a reason to set aside our grudge. Another common enemy would be great, except as far as I knew there weren¡¯t any major threats that any of the Avengers would get involved with for a while.

    The only thing I could do for now was stall. ¡°Not yet. We need to do this the smart way. Establish ourselves, meet them from a place of strength. Not rush in half-cocked.¡±

    He dropped his head back to his pillow, a touch of frustration entering his tone as he sighed. ¡°Alright then, go on, project your brain into the sky or whatever it is you do.¡±

    --

    Unfortunately, my ¡®clever¡¯ plan of using astral projection to track down Kamar-taj was unsuccessful. Astral bodies didn¡¯t particularly stand out, so spotting a sorcerer by sheer chance was unlikely, if any of them even had a reason to be randomly flying around the city. Flying unseen over the streets at night at least let me cover a lot of ground, but it didn¡¯t really make it much easier to find what we were looking for.

    After a few days of searching, Pietro stole me a laptop from somewhere and I was able to take advantage of our hotel¡¯s Wi-Fi to do a bit of searching around online. One of the first things I did was look up how to ask ¡®Do you know where Kamar-taj is?¡¯ in Nepali¡ªKamar-taj kah¨¡m? cha th¨¡h¨¡ cha?¡ªso that I didn¡¯t feel like quite as much of an asshole asking everyone in English and expecting them to understand me.

    I spent a little time researching a few other things just to check on them: I wasn¡¯t able to find any leaks or news about a hacker group called the Rising Tide, so it was up in the air as to whether anything from Agents of SHIELD was relevant. However, Nelson and Murdock, Attorneys at Law, had a website. Not only that, but I also found a business listing for Alias Investigations in New York City, which seemed like confirmation that that little Netflix grouping of events might be canon. I was also able track down reuploads of the SHIELD/HYDRA data that Natasha Romanov had leaked to the internet¡ªalmost all of it was either encrypted or long outdated, but I downloaded a few archives to go through when I had some spare time. There was a chance that my foreknowledge would let me notice something in the files that no one else would.

    --

    It was midmorning, a full week after we first arrived in Kathmandu, when a figure stepped out of the crowd toward us¡ª a dark-skinned man wearing a weathered-looking but elaborately layered green robe. I did a double-take, eyes widening in recognition, as he reached up to take down his hood. Mordo, one of the masters of the place we were looking for. ¡°You¡¯re looking for Kamar-taj?¡± he asked.

    Come to think of it, this was exactly how Doctor Strange ended up finding the monastery as well.

    ¡°You!¡± I said, excitement leaking into my voice for a moment before I remembered myself and cleared my throat. ¡°I mean, yes. Yes we are. Can you take us there?¡± Mordo inclined his head slightly, then turned and started walking. I immediately fell into step behind him. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Pietro shoot me a dubious look, and I gestured for him to follow.

    We made our way through the people thronging the streets, Mordo pausing occasionally to ensure we kept up and didn¡¯t lose sight of him. Eventually, on the outskirts of the city, we ended up at a wooden door set into a weathered, uneven brickwork fa?ade. I could tell that the building housed a larger complex behind it, but it was completely nondescript¡ªalmost unusually plain compared to the other temples and monasteries we¡¯d seen here.

    Silently, Mordo pushed open the door and gestured for us to enter. Pietro and I exchanged glances¡ªhe still seemed unconvinced, but I nodded eagerly and stepped forward. I heard him sigh behind me.

    The door deposited us in an antechamber edged with intricately carved wooden columns, a set of unlit low-set braziers flanking the path into Kamar-taj¡¯s large, open-air central atrium. The space was filled with robed acolytes of a variety of ages and ethnicities going about their business, equally likely to be carrying iPads as ancient tomes. I wondered briefly about the elaborate robes they all wore; while the exact cut and layering of each sorcerer or sorcerer-in-training¡¯s robes were similar, there were only a few colour variations, which felt like it might indicate a rank system? The actual children all wore off-white, with only a few adults also in that colour. The rest wore red or blue¡ªnotably, no one else in the courtyard was wearing Mordo¡¯s green.

    The green-clad sorcerer led us past the gnarled, ancient tree¡ªbare of leaves¡ªthat dominated one corner of the courtyard and through another door. The subtle scent of sandalwood tickled my nose as we headed up a flight of stairs and headed toward an open doorway flanked by incense burners. The walls here were carved wooden lattices, allowing you to easily see through to the other rooms around you.

    ¡°The sanctuary of our teacher,¡± Mordo said reverentially as he directed us forward. ¡°The Ancient One.¡±

    The room he led us into was open and airy, with cushioned benches and narrow tables spread around the periphery, covered with leather-bound tomes, dark ceramic tea sets, and other assorted clutter. The polished wooden floor of the hallway continued around the edge of the room, with a step down to a pattern of faded red and blue tiles that dominated the centre of the room.

    A pair of black-robed acolytes moved toward us and I stepped back from them, clutching my duffle bag protectively. They hesitated, then inclined their heads in acknowledgement and moved away to stand by the entrance. I glanced around the room and stifled my faint surprise. While I was expecting¡ªhappy even¡ªto see the Ancient One here, the room¡¯s final occupant gave me a moment¡¯s pause. Sitting casually behind one of the tables, wearing a set of grey and teal robes, was Kaecilius, his distinctive features immediately recognisable.

    In retrospect, I probably should have told Pietro about him earlier and his eventually turn to villainy. I did think we had a decent chunk of time before he betrayed Kamar-taj, though¡ªthe crude timeline I¡¯d been piecing together in my notebook estimated it was somewhere between six and twelve months from now. Kaecilius regarded us thoughtfully as we entered, slowing coming to his feet and inclining his head in a greeting.

    I cautiously nodded an acknowledgement back before turning to regard the tall, bald woman standing off to one side of the room. ¡°Thank you for seeing us, Ancient One,¡± I dipped my head to her respectfully. ¡°It is an honour to meet you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome,¡± she said, smiling back at me.

    Pietro did a little bit of a double-take then ducked his head as well, leaning in close to me. ¡°She doesn¡¯t look that ancient to me,¡± he murmured doubtfully. I suppressed a sigh. Probably the best I could have expected from him.

    Her eyes crinkled in amusement. ¡°I¡¯m a lot older than I look, Pietro Maximoff.¡±

    I took advantage of his surprise that she knew who we were, elbowing him in the ribs and shooting him a chastising look. Still, this was a good start. I exhaled, letting some of the tension I¡¯d been feeling since walking into Kamar-taj drain from my body. Of course the Ancient One knew who we were and why we were here. This had been the right decision. ¡°We¡¯re here because we need your help.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°You do. Tea?¡±

    ¡°That would be lovely, thank you,¡± I said. Pietro just shrugged. ¡°So you know why we¡¯re here?¡±

    One of the black-robed attendants stepped forward to offer us a pair of rounded, antique-looking handle-less cups while the Ancient One retrieved a matching tall teapot from a side table, pouring for us as she spoke. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m glad you came.¡± She gestured at the duffle bag slung over my shoulder. ¡°That could cause a lot of harm if it ended up in the wrong place.¡±

    ¡°Believe me, I know,¡± I said, taking a sip. The tea was amazing¡ªa subtly spiced black tea with a hint of sweetness. I closed my eyes and inhaled the aroma of it, then took another, longer drink. ¡°This is really good.¡±

    The Sorcerer Supreme smiled again. ¡°Yes.¡± She continued around the room to pour tea for Mordo and Kaecilius as well, each of whom thanked her with a smile and silent nod.

    ¡°This power I have, this magic¡­¡± I gestured with one hand, summoning a small amount of mist-like red energy above my fingers. ¡°I know it¡¯s not the same as what you do, but¡­¡±

    Nodding, the Ancient One placed the teapot back on the side table, then performed a gesture of her own. Next to me, Pietro flinched again in surprise as a mandala of burning energy began to unfold in the air, the harsh orange geometries almost electric compared to my own. ¡°The Mystic Arts we teach here harness energy drawn from other dimensions of the multiverse to cast spells,¡± she said. ¡°You could learn it, potentially, just as anyone else can. Your chaos magic, however, is drawn from an innate, personal source of power.¡±

    ¡°Chaos magic.¡± I nodded. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a kind of witchcraft?¡±

    She flicked her hands forward and the sorcerous diagram dissipated. ¡°It is and it isn¡¯t. You were born with an innate talent, and could have developed into an ordinary witch using it.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m not an ordinary witch.¡±

    She looked at me and it was my turn to flinch a little, wilting under her piercing gaze. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°You are not.¡±

    ¡°Is there some overlap?¡± I persisted. ¡°Whether you¡¯re using personal power or power taken from elsewhere, are there any similarities when it comes to techniques for channelling it, or the spells that it can be used for? Even if there isn¡¯t, Kamar-taj has the most extensive library on magic in the world. Do you have any books on witchcraft?¡±

    The Ancient One nodded slowly. ¡°Some. The discipline and techniques of sorcery could be applied to help you better channel your innate power. But I¡¯m afraid that teaching you is out of the question.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡± I asked, caught off guard by the firmness of the rejection.

    ¡°Because you don¡¯t belong here,¡± she said, dark green eyes boring into mine.

    ¡°Ah.¡± Well, that was disconcerting. I placed my now-empty tea cup on one of the nearby tables. ¡°Do you mean that in a ¡®the timeline has been disturbed and you should be in Sokovia working with Ultron¡¯ way, or¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, I mean it in a ¡®you should not be in this reality¡¯ way,¡± the Ancient One said softly, also putting down her cup.

    I noticed that I¡¯d taken a slight step backward without realising it. ¡°Well,¡± I said, stammering slightly. ¡°I¡¯m here now, and I can make things better. I already have. There are a lot of people who don¡¯t need to die. I¡¯ve already saved some.¡±

    ¡°What? Who¡¯s going to die?¡± Pietro asked, but quieted when I held up a hand.

    ¡°You sought me out to learn more of magic, not knowing¡ªor perhaps forgetting¡ªthat it is the duty of the Masters of the Mystic Arts to safeguard this world from threats that originate from beyond it.¡± The Sorcerer Supreme folded her hands in front of her and looked at me, her expression utterly impassive. ¡°An entity from another world, possessing the Scarlet Witch and holding an Infinity Stone, approaches seeking more control? More power? I¡¯m afraid there is only one way forward here.¡±

    I felt the colour drain from my face. Fuck.

 Chapter 4

    Okay, yeah, that actually sounded really bad when you said it out loud like that.

    Risking a glance backwards, I saw the four other sorcerers had spread out around us. I could feel my heart pounding my chest as my fight-or-flight instinct started to kick in. I felt trapped. Boxed in. We needed to get out of here.

    ¡°Wanda?¡± Pietro hissed, bouncing on the balls of his feet, ready to spring into action.

    I held up both my hands in a placating gesture, arms trembling slightly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to kill me.¡± I stumbled over my words a little as the Ancient One took a step toward me. ¡°I can see how you might reach that conclusion, but you made a lot of assumptions just there and if you just give me a chance to explain¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you,¡± she said, giving me a tired smile. ¡°I told you, you need my help. You can¡¯t stay here. I can send you home.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I paused, then shook my head. ¡°Uh, no thank you. Sorry.¡±

    She smiled again. ¡°Perhaps I was too generous in my phrasing. I will be sending you home. Your cooperation, while helpful, is not necessary.¡±

    ¡°Can we please just talk about this?¡± I asked plaintively. This was¡­ unfair. I liked this body. I liked having magic superpowers. I didn¡¯t just put up with a full year of HYDRA¡¯s ¡®training¡¯ to be unceremoniously dumped back in my old reality with nothing to show for it.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said brightly, taking another step forward. ¡°Let¡¯s talk, face to face.¡± Without missing a beat, she lunged forward in an attempt to slam her palm into my chest. My hands came up reflexively, misty coronas of red energy flaring up and catching her an inch away from my body.

    ¡°Lookyoureallydon¡¯thavetodothiswecanjusttalk,¡± I said, the words blurting out so fast they smeared together, but the Ancient One hadn¡¯t stopped moving, bringing her second hand up through my shield with a fan-like wedge made of orange sorcerous energy, shredding it before following through with another thrust to my chest.

    My astral form exited my body forcefully, flying back several feet. The Ancient One looked up at me, a flicker of surprise on her features as she took in my astral body. I glanced down, then back up at her. The sorcerer tilted her head curiously and started to say something, but was cut off as my body almost reflexively raised its hands and thrust them forward, hitting her full in the chest with a blaze of red energy. The sorcerer was blasted back with enough force that she smashed clear through the wooden wall behind her, landing in a heap of debris in the next room.

    Things were moving around me¡ªvoices shouting in alarm and flashes of energy lighting up the room¡ªbut the dizzying double-vision from controlling my real and astral bodies at the same time meant I was slow to react to it. Instead of trying, I pulled back from my body and forced myself deeper into the Astral Plane, slowing my perception of time to a tiny fraction of normal.

    With everything around me moving at a barely perceptible crawl, I turned to watch Pietro as he slowly darted around the periphery of the room. Normally, at top speed he was almost impossible to track with the naked eye, but with my perception altered it was like watching someone underwater or wading through molasses. Kaecilius was already in a heap on the ground¡ªI had no idea exactly what had happened there¡ªand Pietro was ducking to the side to avoid the burning geometries Mordo was conjuring before he lunged forward. The larger man caught Pietro¡¯s shoulder full in the chest, hard enough to displace him a foot in the air, before starting an agonizingly slow tumble across the room.

    Pietro reached out and grabbed the sling ring that hung from a leather thong at the sorcerer¡¯s waist, yanking it free before continuing around the room to slam into the two black-robed attendants. Honestly, I was a little worried he was going to accidentally kill someone. He hadn¡¯t had a lot of practice at moderating how fast he was going when hitting an opponent, and we¡¯d been training to fight the Avengers. HYDRA¡¯s preference when exploring his abilities was, of course, for him to always go in as hard and fast as possible. I had almost forgotten how powerful he was, but watching him almost casually dismantle four sorcerers in slow motion was a pretty strong reminder.

    I let my perception return to normal as I slipped back into my body. My stomach lurched slightly as I looked forward at the hole in the wall that the Ancient One had gone through. Apparently, Pietro wasn¡¯t the only one who hadn¡¯t learned to moderate their hits. If my sucker punch had just killed the Ancient One by accident, we were so fucking screwed.

    ¡°Shit,¡± I said, the panic in my chest building even further. ¡°Shit. That wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t see that coming,¡± Pietro commented wryly. He held up Mordo¡¯s sling ring so I could see it and tilted his head. ¡°Shall we go?¡±

    Part of me wanted to linger long enough to see if the Ancient One was okay, but the much more sensible part of me said to flee before the sorcerers had time to reorganise and attack us again. I nodded a confirmation and squeezed my eyes shut as he picked me up. There was a rush of air and sound and, when I opened them again several minutes later, we were in an alley near our hotel, clear across the city.

    Hurriedly extracting myself from Pietro¡¯s arms, I stumbled forward and leant heavily against the brick wall of the alley, breathing deeply as I tried not to vomit. Note to self: moving at that speed while I was already a bit dizzy was significantly worse than it normally was.

    ¡°So what the hell was that?¡± Pietro asked. ¡°What was she talking about? Why did she say you don¡¯t belong in reality?¡±

    I didn¡¯t respond right away, continuing to focus on my breathing until I was pretty sure I wasn¡¯t going to empty my guts all over the alley. When I felt well enough to turn back to Pietro with an answer, however, my eyes widened and I started to back up rapidly. ¡°I would really love to have this conversation right now,¡± I said, red energy swirling into being around my hands. ¡°But we don¡¯t have time.¡±

    A dozen yards away, sparking, spiralling threads of orange and yellow started opening up into a pair of sling ring portals. I turned, intending on running in the opposite direction, but the air in front of me cracked like a mirror that had been struck by a hammer, fissures rapidly spreading like a curtain draped across the alley and adjacent buildings before shifting and transforming into an enormous wall of glittering, glasslike facets.

    Mordo and two new, red-clad sorcerers emerged from one portal, with the Ancient One and another sorcerer in blue following from the second a moment later. Pietro starting moving almost instantly, but the Sorcerer Supreme was already gesturing as she arrived, sending a carpet of orange geometric shapes crackling across the ground under our feet. Pietro lost traction immediately, slipping like a cartoon on a banana peel. He landed hard on his shoulder, skidding forward as though the ground had become completely frictionless.

    I felt my feet start to slip as well and I thrust my hands downward in a panic, sending myself hurtling upwards and listing to one side with a blast of power. Stumbling as I landed on the low roof of the adjacent building, I looked back to see Pietro on the ground, most of the sorcerers closing in around him. Not sure what else to do, I whipped out my hands and flung bolts of red energy at the Ancient One and her companion, trying to distract them.

    Both managed to pull up shields; sorcerous, burning mandalas unfolding in their hands. The sorcerer in blue tried to tank the hit straight on¡ªit tore through his defences, blasting him backwards to land in a heap¡ªwhile the Ancient One deflected hers to one side. It smashed explosively into the alley wall, showering her fallen companion with shards of smouldering brickwork. She gestured toward herself with a pulling motion and the faceted wall behind us shot forward, engulfing us all and transporting us to the Mirror Dimension.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± I swore, looking around at the fractured version of the city around us, my voice echoing hollowly in the liminal space. This was literally the worst thing that could have happened.

    Pietro had mostly managed to clamber to his feet¡ªhands held out for balance as he tried very hard not to slip again¡ªas Mordo headed toward him, stepping quickly through the air on tiny magical platforms that appeared and disappeared below his boots. The dark-skinned sorcerer had unshouldered a staff that separated into five sections held together with orange sorcerous energy, lashing it out like a whip as he moved toward Pietro.

    I hesitated, mind desperately racing to figure out some way of de-escalating the situation, when the Ancient One gestured and the building I was standing on folded like a man bowing at the waist, the reality of the Mirror Dimension distorting as it obeyed her command. I stumbled toward the edge of the roof as it tipped forward, just in time to see Pietro dodge to one side. Grabbing Mordo by the arm faster than the sorcerer was able to react, he yanked him off his feet so that both of them landed heavily on the ground. Pietro kicked off the fallen sorcerer, sending the other man skidding to the far end of the alley along the magically-frictionless ground while using the opposed momentum to bowl himself into the Ancient One, taking out her legs. ¡°Go!¡± he shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up!¡±

    If I had more than half a second to think about it and wasn¡¯t about to fall off the edge of a roof, I might¡¯ve realised that splitting up was a terrible idea. However, at this point I had no idea what I could actually do to defuse the situation, so I desperately latched on the clear directive. Go. Escape. I thrust out my hands to launch myself forward, narrowing catching myself before I fell from off the roof and landing safely at the far end of the alley. One of the red-robed sorcerers, a severe-looking Asian woman, sprinted toward me as she conjured a long, geometric design and hurled it like a spear.

    I was still finding my footing and barely had time to throw a hand up, but the shield that started to form was a fraction of a second too late and I knew it. Instead, I let the wisps of red energy diffuse, curling them around the sizzling projectile as I wrapped telekinetic energy around it. I stepped to the side, spinning in a full circle as I guided the spear around with me before launching it back, twice as hard, along its original trajectory. My attacker audibly gasped in surprise and dropped flat to avoid it, but Mordo¡ªstill struggling back to his feet¡ªwas pretty much directly behind her. He only just barely brought up his staff in time to intercept the attack, which smashed the relic from his grip and sent it skittering away along the ground, out of sight.

    I didn¡¯t stop to watch. Darting out of the alley, I turned right and started heading down the thoroughfare, trying to ignore the confusingly fractured landscape and reflections of people in the real world around me. As I moved, my hands glowed and I sent myself hurtling forward at a 45-degree angle again, boosting myself faster than the sorcerers could run. This was bad. I really, really hadn¡¯t wanted us to get trapped in the Mirror Dimension. While I knew it was possible for me to learn to get out of here, I also had no idea how long that would take and it didn¡¯t seem like the sorcerers would be willing to wait patiently while I figured it out.

    Almost as if in answer to that thought, another portal sparked into being ahead of me, Kaecilius stepping out into the middle of the street. I landed a dozen feet away from him, my hands wreathed in energy, hesitating uncertainly when he raised his own in a placating gesture. ¡°We should talk, you and I,¡± he said. ¡°Not here. Later.¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡± I said warily.

    Slowly reaching into his robe in the same careful way that a man at gunpoint might retrieve his wallet, the sorcerer produced a small object and gently tossed it toward me. I caught it out of the air, kicking myself mentally almost immediately as I did so: don¡¯t just grab random things sorcerers throw at you! What if it was a trap?

    Luckily, it seemed relatively harmless¡ªa ping-pong-ball-sized bronze sphere inscribed with geometric designs. I looked back up at him and he stepped aside, gesturing for me to pass with a small smile. ¡°A light singeing only, if you please.¡±

    I nodded, tucking the ball into my bra, then blasted him with a small bolt of red energy. The sorcerer went down like a sack of potatoes and lay still. Almost immediately, I heard a shout from behind. ¡°Kaecilius!¡± I glanced back and saw that Mordo had just rounded the corner and was bearing down on me. Of course.

    Hurling a blast of energy toward the rapidly-approaching sorcerer, I turned without waiting to see if it landed and launched myself forward again, this time angling my descent toward a nearby rooftop. I swore as I landed more heavily than I meant to, stumbling and having to spend a few precious moments catching my balance. True flight was something I was really hoping to master sooner rather than later, but I just hadn¡¯t picked up the trick of it yet¡ªI was even beginning to suspect that these crude super-powered hops were a complete dead end rather than the precursor that I had initially thought they were. It really would have come in handy here.

    I yelped in surprise as Mordo leapt up next to me, scant feet away, the Vaulting Boots of Valtorr letting him bound through the air with alarming speed and agility. His face was fixed in a determined scowl and he lunged forward, manifesting an eldritch whip between his hands and flicking it toward me. I caught it¡ªhand coated in wisps of red¡ªand yanked him forward, intending on pulling him off balance and kicking him off the rooftop. Instead, he stepped in close, already manifesting a long, sword-like blade of sorcerous power, and attempted to skewer me with it.

    I let go of the whip, Mordo¡¯s blade skidding off a hastily manifested telekinetic shield as I staggered backwards. Time seemed to slow, my eyes widening in horror as the deflected blade sliced through the duffle bag hanging off my shoulder, sectioning it neatly into two pieces with a hiss of burning fabric and sending the sceptre tumbling through the air toward the street below.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Flinging my hand out reflexively, red energies swirled across the surface of the artifact as I magically took hold of it and reversed its direction. It flew back up and into my outstretched hand just in time for me to use the bladed head to intercept Mordo¡¯s follow?up¡ªan overhand slash that would have otherwise probably killed me. The force of the blow almost overwhelmed me anyway, numbing my arm and sending me reeling back again. Mordo didn¡¯t let up, continuing to press me with another dizzying flurry of blows.

    The sceptre felt completely natural in my hand, moving like it was an extension of my arm. I wielded it like a sword, desperately parrying and deflecting his attacks. My magic was bubbling up inside of me¡ªresponding to my panicked mental state¡ªand I screamed a wordless challenge as I released it outward in an omnidirectional blast of red energy, trying to give myself some space.

    As Mordo was forced back, his foot caught on a stray piece of brickwork and I saw an opening. I lunged forward without thinking, the tip of the sceptre pressing directly into the centre of the sorcerer¡¯s chest. We both froze for a moment as a connection was made, tiny traceries of blue energy crawling their way up his neck and jaw. Mordo¡¯s eyes clouded over black for a moment before clearing¡ªbright blue now, in the wake of the sceptre¡¯s power¡ªand I cautiously straightened up, looking from him to the sceptre clutched in my fist and back again in alarm. I hadn¡¯t meant to do that.

    The sorcerer lowered his arms and we just sort of stared at each other for a few seconds. He broke the silence first. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to escape from the Ancient One so long as we remain in the Mirror Dimension, and we can¡¯t leave it quickly without a sling ring.¡±

    I grimaced, fingering the sceptre uncomfortably. ¡°Pietro still has yours.¡±

    ¡°The Ancient One may have already contained him; you would be wise not to underestimate her,¡± he said, turning to scan the direction we¡¯d come from. ¡°You broke at least one of her ribs earlier. I may be able to best her if I catch her by surprise.¡±

    A blur vaulted over the roof and Pietro stopped dead in front of us, breathing heavily and bleeding from a long gash on the side of his head. I held out a hand as he hesitated. ¡°He¡¯s on our side for now.¡±

    ¡°Is he?¡± The Ancient One¡¯s voice called out from the other side of the roof as she stepped through a portal. ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±

    I turned toward her grimly, Pietro and Mordo taking up positions on either side of me. ¡°Well, so much for the element of surprise,¡± I said. ¡°But I still think three on one is pretty good odds.¡±

    The Sorcerer Supreme stood on her guard, eyes flitting between me, Pietro and Mordo, shimmering battle fans made of burning sorcerous energy held at the ready. I tilted my head, a triumphant smile curving my lips as I brandished the sceptre. I knew I¡¯d committed to not using it, but everything had gone off the rails at Kamar-taj and the Ancient One was right there. Alone, with no support. Whatever mental defences Mordo might have had hadn¡¯t stood up to the sceptre¡¯s power, and I doubted she would fare much better. Once I took her, it¡¯d be simple to expand my control over all of Kamar-taj. I¡¯d have the biggest repository of magical power and knowledge in the world at my command, and from there¡­ from there¡­

    I paused and forced myself to look at the sceptre, my hand clutching it in a white-knuckled death grip. Glancing around, I could see that the swirling eddies of red energy around me had been joined by wisps of blue, my magic naturally drawing out and incorporating the power of the artifact.

    Oh.

    It was almost physically painful to lower the sceptre, every instinct I had screaming at me that I couldn¡¯t afford not to use it. I looked back up at the Ancient One, my mouth suddenly dry. ¡°Truce. Please? We don¡¯t need to keep fighting.¡±

    ¡°Free Mordo from your enchantment and return the ring. Then we¡¯ll talk,¡± she responded. Despite the situation she sounded completely confident, as if she were still the one with the upper hand.

    ¡°¡­ I need the ring,¡± I said plaintively.

    She shook her head. ¡°If you know what it¡¯s used for, then you also know why I can¡¯t let you keep it. I¡¯m sorry, but I must do my best to stop you.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t really thought about it too much until just now, but when it came down to it me keeping the ring was a massive security risk for them. If I could use it, I could open a portal anywhere I liked¡­ Kamar-taj included. Which put their library and artifacts at risk if I decided to take what I wanted by force instead of asking.

    ¡°When we have a few minutes, I can ward us so we won¡¯t be followed. There are precautions that can be taken so she cannot easily find us,¡± Mordo said, looking sidelong at me.

    The Ancient One¡¯s eyes snapped to him. ¡°Mordo¡­¡± she murmured, a hint of concern creeping into her tone.

    I nodded absently. It made sense that there was some way to ward against the ring¡¯s ability to portal directly to people. Otherwise, the Ancient One would have been able to easily hunt down Kaecilius in the original timeline. ¡°Sounds good. Give him his ring back.¡±

    Pietro hesitated for a brief moment before wordlessly handing the stolen sling ring back to Mordo, who slipped it onto his fingers.

    ¡°Last chance,¡± the Ancient One said, her voice quiet.

    I bit my lip. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll return Mordo as soon as I can, once he¡¯s made sure we can¡¯t be followed.¡±

    Instead of responding, the Sorcerer Supreme snapped her fans out in a wide, elaborate gesture. The rooftop buckled beneath us as the surrounding buildings began to morph and flow into each other, twisting and replicating themselves in endlessly repeating fractal patterns. We started to react, but she gestured again and gravity reoriented itself ninety degrees, the three of us immediately falling backwards toward the new ¡®down¡¯.

    I flung out a hand in desperation, catching Pietro with wisps of scarlet telekinetic energy and thrusting him back at the street so that he landed safely, if heavily, on the wall of a building rather than plummeting to his death. A second later I belatedly remembered that I was still falling and could not actually fly. Mordo caught himself as soon as he could get his feet under him, his boots letting him step safely through the air. He tracked me as I fell past him, waving a hand in a circular motion as he ¡®aimed¡¯ his sling ring¡ªI tumbled through the portal he opened under me and landed in a heap next to Pietro¡ªthen he bounded over to join us.

    There was no reprieve. The wall we were standing on suddenly expanded, iterating on itself in three directions in a deliberate effort to separate us. Pietro ran against the current, easily keeping pace with the fractalized expansion of the building, but Mordo was quickly carried off. The building above began to boil and distort as well, folding downwards between us, and he was gone.

    ¡°How are we supposed to fight this?¡± Pietro yelled in frustration.

    ¡°If she¡¯s actively directing it, she must be able to see us,¡± I said, looking around.

    Almost on cue, the Ancient One dropped down through a gap in the distorted building, landing directly on Pietro. He was caught off guard, smashed to the ground and stunned, as she knelt atop him, knee in the centre of his back, one sorcerous battle fan held dangerously close to his throat. The hood of her robe was down now, and she glared at me from under it. ¡°Enough,¡± she said. ¡°Surrender yourself.¡±

    I froze. She wouldn¡¯t just kill Pietro, would she? I held up my hands in a placating gesture that was somewhat ruined by the sceptre still in my hand. ¡°Okay, look, I¡¯m not doing anything,¡± I said.

    Pietro, of course, was not content to be a hostage, and the sorcerer had underestimated his strength and speed. He snuck his hands under himself and pushed up, sending them both staggering up and back¡ªanyone else would have cut their own throat on the fan of magical energy, but Pietro twisted out of the way faster than the eye could see. The Ancient One turned to track him and suddenly her back was toward me.

    I channelled chaos magic to dull her perception of me even as I accelerated my footfalls, skittering forward in a jittery fast-forward type of movement¡ªan incredibly crude and much weaker facsimile of Pietro¡¯s power¡ªand brought my hand up toward her temple. Wisps of red energy from my fingertips slid into her mind; I knew if I was watching her from the front, I would see her eyes flash red as the magic took hold. I didn¡¯t really like messing with people¡¯s heads, but at least using my own abilities was a lot safer than using the sceptre.

    Instead of being plagued by tormenting visions, however, the Sorcerer Supreme spun around, seemingly unaffected by the intrusion. I was caught almost completely off guard, narrowly managing to intercept her eldritch fan with the edge of my sceptre. She stomped on my foot in response and lunged low, catching me in the stomach with her elbow. The air went out of me and I went down wheezing, barely managing to hang on to the artifact.

    A blur sped past the Ancient One, shoving her hard and sending her stumbling a dozen feet toward the edge of the wall. Just as it looked like she was about to fall off and plummet into the warped landscape, she managed to bring a hand up and the wall folded outwards in a fractal pattern, giving her space to recover. I was still winded, barely able to flop myself around to watch what was happening while I gasped for air. Pietro lunged toward the Ancient One for a follow up attack and she slammed her foot on the ground, sending up a wave of brickwork that took his feet from under him. Stunned momentarily again, the ground beneath him started to recede, causing him to sink downwards as it tried to close over him.

    The Sorcerer Supreme raised her arm to gesture again, but cried out in shock and pain instead as a long, burning lash of sorcerous energy wrapped around her wrist. The battle fan in that hand dissipated, and she wheeled around with the other to try to sever Mordo¡¯s eldritch whip as he bounded down from above on his Vaulting Boots.

    I lifted my sceptre feebly, focusing on the energy housed within, and triggered it. A bolt of sizzling blue burst from the tip with enough recoil that I again almost lost my grip. The Ancient One was forced to abort her attempt to free herself, expanding her remaining fan into a full circular mandala to deflect the attack to the side. The shield fractured from the power of the hit, dispelling uselessly into shreds of sorcerous energy.

    Pietro erupted from the brickwork at the same time that Mordo pulled his whip taut and grabbed the wrist of her free hand, restraining her between the two of them. There was a sickening snap as he brought his other arm around to smash down on her forearm. She screamed in pain, her knees going out from under her, and Mordo followed up with a solid boot to the side of her head. The Sorcerer Supreme dropped to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut. Almost immediately, the world around us began to flow in reverse, the warped space she had created returning to its original state.

    I groaned, forcing myself back to my feet with a burst of effort before bending over¡ªhands on my knees¡ªto take a few deep breaths. Mordo summoned another geometric blade of sorcerous energies and held it above the Ancient One. I slashed my hand to indicate a negative. ¡°No, that¡¯s enough! She¡¯s down. Pietro, you¡­?¡± I looked up at him, face screwed up in a questioning expression.

    He shrugged, the small ghost of a smile playing across his lips. ¡°Fifty percent less arms to do sorcery with. Like you said.¡±

    I took another deep breath then straightened up and looked at Mordo. The dark-skinned man regarded me alertly, waiting for further direction, his eyes still bright blue from the sceptre¡¯s influence. ¡°Mordo, I¡¯m sorry about all of this. It wasn¡¯t supposed to go this way. This was all¡­ just one big misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°It was no misunderstanding,¡± he responded, shaking his head. ¡°She knew exactly what you are. When she is recovered, she will likely come for you again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Pietro, her ring?¡± He reached down and easily slipped the Ancient One¡¯s sling ring from her nerveless fingers, holding it up so we could see. ¡°Mordo, will warding us take long?¡±

    ¡°Only a few minutes.¡±

    I looked around at the warped landscape and nodded before sitting down heavily on a piece of brickwork that was jutting out at an appropriate height. ¡°Please.¡±

    Leaning back, I closed my eyes and focused on breathing, trying to calm the last bits of adrenaline from my system. I could feel the sceptre thrumming in my hand, begging to be used, but I mentally pushed it away and tried to insulate myself from its effects. I didn¡¯t want to put it down¡ªthere was always the risk that, without really knowing how it worked, I might accidentally sever my control over Mordo. The last thing I needed right now was to lose control and have to fight him again. Once we¡¯d escaped, however, I needed to do something about it quickly. The Ancient One wasn¡¯t going to be any help, so I was going to have to try to safely extract and contain the Mind Stone by myself.

    Mordo stepped in front of me and I opened my eyes to see a small, intricate circle of sorcerous energy hanging in the air between us, no larger than my palm. ¡°This is the enchantment. It¡¯s relatively complex, but requires very little to maintain. When I place it, focus and you should feel it take hold¡ªall you need to do is feed a little bit of power into it.¡±

    The sorcerer made a pushing gesture, sending the enchantment floating toward me, and it passed harmlessly into my chest with a slight tingling sensation. I could feel it inside of me, a slight phantom sensation of pressure, and I let it touch the bubbling wellspring of chaos magic inside of me. It ¡®connected¡¯, though I couldn¡¯t feel any noticeable draw on my reserves. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll be aware of its presence, but as you have attuned to it you won¡¯t need to actively do anything to maintain it. It will draw what power it needs to sustain itself.¡± Mordo turned to Pietro, who looked at him sceptically. ¡°For your brother, things are a little more complicated¡ªif we had time, I could perhaps teach him enough sorcery to maintain his own ward.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± I said simply. ¡°You¡¯re not going to be coming with us.¡±

    The sorcerer nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll need to create a secondary enchantment¡ªa battery. You will need to channel some of your magic into it every so often to recharge it. Perhaps once a week.¡±

    The mechanics of this sort of magic hadn¡¯t really been explored at all on-screen, so I was flying a bit blind. My closest touchpoint was Jonathan Pangborn, the paraplegic who used some sort of ongoing enchantment to allow himself to walk again. ¡°What happens if we get separated and it doesn¡¯t get charged?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Once it fully depletes the available energy, it will start to feed on his lifeforce to maintain itself.¡± Mordo held up a hand at Pietro¡¯s sudden look of alarm. ¡°There is no real danger with an enchantment this small. As I said, it requires very little energy. You will feel fatigued and tire more easily, but that is all. Unfortunately, unless you take the time to learn sorcery, you will not be able to break the enchantment yourself.¡±

    Pietro looked over at me. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound great.¡±

    ¡°I can break it if we need to,¡± I said. ¡°I know it¡¯s not ideal, but we need it. Otherwise they¡¯ll be able to track us.¡±

    With a long-suffering sigh, Pietro nodded and submitted himself to Mordo¡¯s ministrations. The sorcerer wove another circle, the same as the one he¡¯d created for me, over the course of several minutes, then pushed it into Pietro. The second enchantment was similar in size but much less complicated, Mordo forming the simple pattern in only a handful of seconds.

    I stood up and walked over to Pietro, reaching out with a hand. Wisps of red energy flowed from my fingertips and gently caressed his chest¡ªI could feel both enchantments on him, one similar to mine and another brimming with energy. It seemed like it would be pretty simple to recharge.

    Mordo held out a hand expectantly. ¡°The Ancient One¡¯s ring?¡± I nodded and Pietro dropped it into his palm. He examined it for a few moments, then frowned. ¡°This is unexpected. Sling rings are difficult to make, so have a mechanism built into them by which they can be easily tracked should they be stolen or lost. It¡¯s possible to tamper with it, but this¡­ her ring lacks it entirely.¡±

    ¡°I guess the Ancient One doesn¡¯t want other sorcerers to be able to track her, either,¡± I said. That made sense¡ªshe had secrets of her own she was keeping.

    The sorcerer looked back at where the Ancient One¡¯s crumpled form still lay. ¡°It appears so,¡± he said, his brow furrowed.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that then. I¡¯ll take the ring. This is where we go our separate ways. Please open a portal back to the alleyway where you initially caught up with us.¡± Mordo nodded, handing me the sling ring and opening a portal with his own, and Pietro and I stepped through. I looked back at him and pointed to the Ancient One. ¡°Get her to a hospital. Stay with her, make sure she¡¯s okay. Once that¡¯s done, surrender yourself into the care of Kamar?taj¡­ I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t take long for them to work out how to break the sceptre¡¯s enchantment.¡± I could have done it myself, but I wanted to be far away from him when he was freed from my control.

    Mordo grimaced, but nodded. ¡°You are trying to earn goodwill, but there¡¯s no point. She will not change her mind about you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s not about earning goodwill. I didn¡¯t want this. I just don¡¯t want to make things any worse than they already are.¡±

    He nodded again. ¡°Very well. I will do my best to advocate for you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, a contrite smile curving the corner of my mouth. ¡°At least until the enchantment is broken.¡±

    ¡°Until then,¡± Mordo acknowledged, returning the smile, his much warmer than mine.

    The portal closed, leaving the two of us alone in the alley once again. Sighing again softly, I looked at the sceptre in my hand. Pietro turned to me, absently touching the blood at his temple and wincing slightly in pain. ¡°So now what?¡±

 Chapter 5

    ¡°Welcome back to Sokovia, Captain Rogers, Ms Romanov, Mr Barton.¡±

    To their credit, the Sokovian prison guards had only made them wait awkwardly at the entrance gate for a few minutes before their escort had come out to meet them. Nat had spent the time in the same way she always did whenever she was in a new place¡ªnoting sightlines and potential cover, mentally marking the positions of each tower and guard, identifying the makes of the weapons she could see to predict effective engagement ranges, and pre-planning escape routes if they were suddenly ambushed. Clint was doing the same, pointing things out she might have missed with a twitch of his hand, a subtle glance, or even just a shift in his body language. You know, just normal people things.

    Nat dipped her head slightly in acknowledgement as she was spoken to.

    ¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± said Clint, flashing a forced smile.

    Next to them, Steve stepped forward to shake the man¡¯s offered hand. ¡°Thanks for having us. Colonel Zemo, I presume?¡±

    The Sokovian official smiled lightly. ¡°The same.¡±

    Steve looked at the pair of guards armed with assault rifles flanking him. ¡°Expecting trouble?¡± he asked lightly.

    ¡°Not at all, just a formality. Protocols, you know how it is. Apologies for the inconvenience. If you¡¯ll follow me?¡±

    NATO had authorised the Avengers¡¯ request to question Wolfgang von Strucker days ago, but the Sokovian government had been dragging its heels, deliberately bogging down the process with ¡®protocols¡¯. They could only delay for so long, however, and they¡¯d eventually agreed to host them on the condition that one of their officials would attend to ensure the interview was ¡®conducted appropriately¡¯, i.e. to make sure that they didn¡¯t miss out on any intel that came from it.

    Flanked by guards, Zemo escorted them into the facility. Nat took in the condition of the place as they walked. Cracked, crudely-poured raw concrete, eroded brickwork, exposed water pipes and electricity cables¡­ this place was falling apart. Even the cells in HYDRA¡¯s research base, itself a repurposed military fortress, had been in better condition than those here in Novi Grad. It was pretty clear that whatever infrastructure funding was meant to be maintaining this place was being funnelled into some corrupt official¡¯s pocketbook¡ªprobably someone exactly like Zemo.

    She¡¯d done their research on the man that would be meeting them, of course: Colonel Helmut Zemo, decorated intelligence officer, fabulously wealthy member of the landed aristocracy, and commander of EKO Scorpion, an elite paramilitary death squad. With his resume, it wouldn¡¯t have surprised her if he was secretly working for HYDRA as well, but she hadn¡¯t found any actual evidence of that. Yet.

    They were led down a cramped passage to a room where, on the other side of a one-way mirror, they could see Strucker already in place, sitting shackled to a metal table.

    ¡°As you can see, our man is already waiting for you. He¡¯s been in there about three hours, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be eager to talk.¡±

    Nat and Clint exchanged wordless glances as Steve¡¯s posture changed slightly¡ªthey could both tell he was weighing up whether to say something about the conditions.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be conducting the interview,¡± Nat said, cutting in before he could. Steve glanced sideways at her, looking a little disappointed that she¡¯d deliberately headed him off.

    Zemo seemed unphased. ¡°Of course. I am here as an observer only¡ªyou are free to question Strucker as you wish.¡±

    Clint looked at her and nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll observe.¡±

    Zemo gestured and a Sokovian guard escorted Nat back out and around to the entrance of the cell. She stepped through the door and it was closed again behind her.

    ¡°Ms Romanov, what a pleasure to see you again.¡±

    Strucker was a dime a dozen as far as these things were concerned¡ªthe sort of brittle-egoed man who always had to be the cleverest person in the room. There were two main ways to deal with them: in a more delicate setting where offending them was a risk, it was better to play into their vanity and make them slip up by underestimating you, like she had with Loki. When you held all the cards, however, casually disabusing them of their ego while they had no real way of retaliating would often make them break down.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make this quick, Strucker,¡± Natasha said brusquely as she sat down across from him. ¡°I imagine you¡¯re about as thrilled to see me as I am to see you. Don¡¯t worry, neither of us will be here long.¡±

    He paused, taken slightly aback by the abruptness, then nodded. ¡°Very well, to business then.¡±

    ¡°Your successful experiments. The Maximoffs. Do you know where they went?¡±

    Strucker smiled at the question, settling into the predicted ¡®smartest man in the room¡¯ routine. ¡°Slipped the net, did they? That is a shame. But you must be rather desperate to find them, if you¡¯re resorting to speaking to me, no? Why would that be?¡±

    Natasha paused, gauging the risks. She didn¡¯t want to speak too openly about Loki¡¯s sceptre, not with Sokovian intelligence hovering in the background, but from the way he was needling her she was pretty sure that Strucker either already knew or had guessed that the twins had the artifact. She sat back in her chair, a small smile curving her lips. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m here?¡± she asked, letting a casual but measured confidence leak into her voice.

    He leaned forward, responding to her body language as he peered eagerly at her over the table. ¡°They have it, don¡¯t they? The sceptre.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what they¡¯re planning?¡±

    Strucker smiled broadly. ¡°Ms Romanov, I would be happy to cooperate with your interrogation, but first I would need something from you.¡±

    Natasha raised an eyebrow. ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°They intend to try me in the Hague. The International Criminal Court.¡±

    ¡°Illegal human experimentation will do that, yes,¡± she said, a small, vicious smile curling the corner of her mouth.

    Strucker scowled in response. ¡°I would like a formal statement from the Avengers, outlining my nonviolent surrender and willingness to cooperate with authorities, to be entered as evidence as to my character.¡±

    Natasha leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands, making unblinking eye contact. ¡°You have no idea where they are, do you?¡± she said after a few moments of silence, her tone light and mocking.

    Strucker was easy to read. If he had any real information to share, he would have tried playing with her a bit longer, dragging things out with a bit of light taunting, rather than rushing straight to grabbing whatever benefits he could. He was a coward, far too focused on securing whatever he possibly could before it became too obvious that he couldn¡¯t help them. Natasha could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he decided whether to risk bluffing or outright lying to her.

    ¡°I have some ideas,¡± he hedged. Another mistake on his part. ¡°I¡¯m sure that with my help¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sorry for wasting your time,¡± Natasha stood back up, dusted off her hands and started toward the door. ¡°Enjoy the Netherlands.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Strucker blurted out, an edge of panic in his voice. ¡°I know things! I could be useful!¡±

    She paused at the door, looking back at him with a bored expression. ¡°If you can tell me something useful within the next five seconds, I¡¯ll consider it.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ but¡­¡± he spluttered for a moment before falling silent, shoulders slumped.

    Natasha nodded, more to herself than to him. ¡°We won¡¯t be seeing each other again.¡±

    She knocked on the door twice, stepping through once the Sokovian guards opened it and leaving Strucker to stew in his own impotence. A few moments later, she was back in the room with Steve, Clint and Zemo. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know anything.¡±

    ¡°That interrogation was¡­ unusually swift,¡± Zemo asked, eyeing her curiously.

    ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m efficient.¡±

    Steve¡¯s brow furrowed but he nodded, trusting Nat¡¯s assessment. ¡°Alright. We¡¯re done here, then.¡± He turned to the Sokovian official. ¡°Thanks again for facilitating this, we really do appreciate your government¡¯s cooperation.¡±

    Zemo inclined his head in acknowledgement, smiling congenially. ¡°If I may, Captain Rogers, perhaps we could share information? The Enhanced¡ªthe Maximoff twins¡ªthey are Sokovian citizens, after all. Our government would be happy to coordinate with the Avengers in order to bring them in.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll review and get back to you,¡± Natasha interjected smoothly. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse us, we have to report back to our team.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    He nodded, with only the slightest suggestion of annoyance or disappointment. ¡°Of course. Please, if there is anything else I can do to assist, let me know.¡±

    The three of them were quiet as they were escorted back out of the Sokovian prison to where the Quinjet sat parked just outside the tall, barbed-wire-topped fences. Once they were safely in the air, Steve leaned forward in his seat and opened a secure channel to Avengers Tower. ¡°Steve here. We¡¯re coming home.¡±

    A few seconds later, the connection went live again and Tony Stark¡¯s voice filtered into the cabin. ¡°Hey Cap, how¡¯d it go?¡±

    ¡°Oh hey, Tony. Surprised you¡¯re awake.¡±

    ¡°Huh, is that the time? I¡¯ve been working with Bruce and we lost track. So what did our HYDRA commander have to say?¡±

    ¡°Nothing useful.¡±

    ¡°Quelle surprise. You know, I¡¯m getting pretty sick of HYDRA making us chase our tails.¡±

    ¡°The trip wasn¡¯t a total waste of time,¡± Clint interjected. ¡°The Maximoffs aren¡¯t acting on HYDRA¡¯s orders.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re off the reservation? Oh, well, that¡¯s even better.¡±

    Nat caught Clint¡¯s attention, rolling her eyes at Tony¡¯s comment. ¡°If the Maximoffs have struck out on their own, it narrows things down for us,¡± she said. "They¡¯ll be working with limited resources, which means they¡¯ll be easier to find.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of, any luck getting the tracking algorithm up and running?¡± Steve asked. With the assumption that the sceptre was no longer hidden away in a heavily shielded lab, Bruce and Tony had dusted off and refined the old tracking algorithm they¡¯d originally tried to use to narrow down where Loki had hidden the Tesseract back when he was hiding on Earth.

    Tony snorted. ¡°Yeah, actually. Turns out if world-renowned scientist Dr Bruce Banner calls up your lab and asks you to please put your spectrometer on the roof and calibrate it to scan for gamma radiation, most people will just go ahead and do it.¡±

    ¡°Some people,¡± Bruce chimed in, correcting him. ¡°Not everyone¡¯s keen to collaborate with us. The net has a lot of holes in it, so we¡¯re probably not going to get a positive match for the sceptre¡¯s signature, but this will at least let us rule some places out.¡±

    Steve nodded. ¡°Good. I¡¯d like to find them before they¡¯re ready for us. The world¡¯s a big place. Let¡¯s start making it smaller.¡±

    --

    I sighed despondently, trying and failing to will myself out of bed. I¡¯d been awake for a good hour or so already, but was finding it incredibly difficult to find the motivation to face the day. The muffled sounds of car horns blaring and undifferentiated hubbub of people in the city outside had already reached a peak despite the early hour, in sharp contrast to the softly snoring Pietro, who had slept like a log and seemed completely at peace with the world.

    I envied him and his ignorance of just how badly we¡¯d fucked up yesterday. We¡¯d abandoned Kathmandu quickly after the altercation with the Ancient One, fleeing west across the border into India and not stopping until we reached New Delhi. I¡¯d basically just collapsed once we secured a room, reasoning that I wanted to be well-rested before tackling the sceptre rather than running on fumes, but had tossed and turned all night, my mind running over all the things I could have done differently.

    I¡¯d decided I wanted to make things better¡ªto use my foreknowledge to prevent some of the worst events of the original timeline from happening. And on my very first outing, my first real attempt to actually do something, I¡¯d hospitalised the Ancient One and made an enemy of Kamar?taj. I felt like shit.

    I glanced over at the sling ring lying on the bedside table. While I knew I had to deal with the sceptre first, and could probably do with another day or two resting before I really tried experimenting with it, I¡¯d already taken a preliminary look at the ring and was pretty surprised what I¡¯d found. Exploratory tendrils of chaos magic had revealed that the piece that sat across the top of your fingers when wearing it¡ªwhat I¡¯d initially taken to be a solid bar of metal¡ªactually had some internal layering going on, condensing a huge number of complex inscriptions into a much smaller package.

    It was an impressive, complicated piece of work. At this stage, my best guess was that it was used to vastly simplify the process of creating a portal¡ªyou channelled energy through the complicated spellwork and it ¡®automatically¡¯ cast it. That fit with the Ancient One¡¯s characterisation of spells as programs, with the ring acting as a sort of pre-programmed executable that just needed to be run. It also implied that it was possible, if potentially difficult, to create a portal without a ring.

    Thinking about the ring reminded me again about how we¡¯d gotten it. Slipping my pillow out from under my head, I put it over my face to muffle my despairing groan. After a few more minutes, I reluctantly sat up. Glancing over at Pietro, still sleeping peacefully in the room¡¯s other bed, I looked back down at the pillow in my hand for a moment before throwing it at him as hard as I could.

    The indignant squawk of surprise as he was shocked back into consciousness brought a small smile of satisfaction to my face. ¡°Wanda, what the fuck?¡± he grumbled.

    ¡°Your face was annoying me.¡± I swung my legs over the side of my bed and stood up, stretching my arms over my head. ¡°Come on, get out of bed. We¡¯ll get some breakfast and then I¡¯ll take care of the sceptre.¡±

    We got dressed, ducked out to gorge ourselves on idli and dosa at a nearby caf¨¦, and about an hour later had returned to our hotel. The room we¡¯d gotten was relatively nice¡ªit wasn¡¯t going to win any awards, and it was half the size of the room we¡¯d been staying in in Kathmandu, but the d¨¦cor was a step up, the beds were somehow even comfier, and the Wi-Fi was rock solid. Not much else I could have asked for, except for some actual space to move around.

    As well as the beds and shared bedside table, there was a TV mounted to the wall and, a tiny, cramped desk with a single wicker chair. Pietro had pulled out the chair and was sitting on it backwards, looking at me. I¡¯d retrieved the sceptre, temporarily dropping it on my bed as I psyched myself up to examine it. I was a little bit worried that it would have some additional defences built in¡ªnothing like that had shown up in the original timeline but, then again, no one had probed it telepathically with magic until it was already embedded in Vision¡¯s head.

    Pietro frowned. ¡°Explain something to me. You don¡¯t want to use the sceptre to control people¡¯s minds, yes? But you still tried to use your own magic on the Ancient One?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°I don¡¯t particularly like messing with people¡¯s minds, but I¡¯ll do it if I have to. The sceptre¡¯s different because it¡¯s compromised. It lets you control others, yes, but it also affects your own mind. Even just being near it can cause you to act differently.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve said that before,¡± Pietro said slowly. ¡°So why did we take it if we don¡¯t want to use it?¡±

    Picking up the sceptre, I pointed to the glimmering blue jewel set into the bladed head. ¡°This gem isn¡¯t the actual power source. There¡¯s another hidden inside. The blue one is an interface wrapped around it, containing it, drawing out its power in a controlled way. It¡¯s also, I think, deliberately designed to affect those using it. That¡¯s what I wanted to talk to the Ancient One about¡ªshe has access to a similar artifact, and I¡¯d hoped we could extract the real power from inside together.¡±

    ¡°Well, so much for that plan.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± I sighed. ¡°Which means I have to do this myself. Now. The sceptre¡¯s already been affecting me. It might have been affecting you as well. I don¡¯t want to risk not noticing the next time it makes me go all¡­ megalomaniacal.¡±

    Sitting down cross-legged at the foot of our beds, I placed the sceptre on the carpet in front of me and stared at it for a few moments. Annoyingly, this meant I was probably never going to get a proper answer for something that had been bugging me for quite some time: I still had no idea why the Mind Stone gave Pietro powers at all. Dozens of people died in List¡¯s experiments with the sceptre, with only the two of us emerging alive and enhanced. For Wanda, it seemed simple enough to explain¡ªshe was the destined Scarlet Witch, and a natural wellspring of magical power. The Mind Stone reacted with that, helping to unlock and supercharge the magical potential that was already there. But there was nothing special about Pietro, was there?

    I had two working theories. One possibility was that Pietro had been affected by his close proximity to Wanda over the years, with that being just enough to have done something to him that made him receptive to the stone¡¯s influence. The second scenario, which seemed more likely, was that Wanda herself had shielded him somehow, albeit unconsciously. The Mind Stone might not have even given him his powers at all¡ªmaybe Wanda did. Her abilities could alter reality, and there were other examples of her unconsciously or accidentally giving people powers. When Wanda had taken over Westview in the original timeline, exposure to her Hex was what caused Monica Rambeau to develop her abilities, and she¡¯d even granted Pietro¡¯s actual superspeed to Ralph Bohner, at least temporarily.

    Either way, seeing if I could deliberately induce powers in someone else, rather than it just being an unintended or subconscious side effect, was definitely on my list of things to try once I had the time and space to experiment.

    ¡°So¡­?¡± Pietro interrupted my thoughts, looking down at me from his perch on the chair.

    I put a finger to my lips to shush him and he rolled his eyes. Ignoring him, I focused instead on the sceptre lying in front of me, wisps of red energy shimmering around it as I reach out with my power. Awareness bloomed in my mind immediately as I made telepathic contact¡ªthere was definitely a mind inside the gem, though it was dormant. Slumbering dreamlessly. There was no doubt in my mind that, in the original timeline, this was what would have become Ultron. Not part of the Mind Stone, but rather a watchdog that had been set to guard it. A failsafe, likely created by Thanos.

    Raising my hand, I caused the sceptre to float into the air, small movements of my fingers causing it to rotate lazily in front of my face and letting me inspect it more fully. It looked like the blue gem wasn¡¯t just placed like a jewel in a setting, but was more like a glass bauble that had had a rod inserted into it while it had been molten, effectively sealing it in place.

    I wrapped the gem in telekinetic force, covering the entire surface of it until not a hint of blue remained visible, then started to apply pressure from two sides. There was a reaction almost immediately, the mind inside the gem startled into awareness. I increased the pressure rapidly as it flailed around, disoriented, trying to understand what was happening to it. Weakly, it interfaced with the Mind Stone and tried to attack me back, sending a spike of mental feedback towards me. It was even more inexperienced with mental attacks than I was¡ªif it had time to get its bearings it might have been a problem, but as it was I just battered it aside with brute force. I took a deep, slightly unsteady breath as I continued to increase the pressure, layering on even more of my power.

    It felt¡­ small. Scared. It must be terrifying, being woken up only to find something was already killing you, something that you didn¡¯t have time to properly understand or defend yourself against. Even knowing what it was or could become, this didn¡¯t feel heroic or good. At least if it had put up more of a fight, I would have been able to feel a bit more justified. But this was like pushing a pillow down on the face of an elderly person or small child¡ªsomeone who wasn¡¯t capable of fighting back properly¡ªand just holding them down as I smothered them to death. I felt sick, tears starting to prick the corners of my eyes.

    ¡°Wanda?¡± Pietro straightened up, concern in his tone.

    There was a cracking sound as the gem shattered and I gasped, flinching back as I felt the mind die. The sceptre fell from my telekinetic grasp, dropping to the carpet. Left floating in mid-air¡ªseemingly unconcerned with gravity even though I was no longer touching it with my magic at all¡ªwas a brightly-shining gem, radiant with golden power. The Mind Stone.

    Without really thinking about it, I held out a trembling hand and the stone floated down, landing in my palm as gently as a feather. It felt light, almost insubstantial. I closed my fist around it, then gagged, my gorge rising in my throat.

    Pietro was next to me instantly, strong hands lifting me to my feet and helping me to stagger the few steps to the room¡¯s ensuite so I could put my head over the toilet bowl as I threw up. I hugged the bowl, noisily and messily emptying the contents of my stomach as I sniffed and blinked away the tears that clouded my vision. Pietro stayed with me, murmuring soothing words, one hand expertly holding my hair out of the way and the other gently rubbing my back as I heaved and retched violently.

 Chapter 6

    Seven months earlier¡­

    ¡°Wanda, do you remember what we talked about yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Dr List. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I trust we will see a better performance from you today?¡± The HYDRA scientist leaned in, invading my personal space, his piercing eyes boring into me. ¡°I know you think you¡¯re being kind, but the only thing you¡¯re doing by holding back is hurting your own development.¡±

    I kept my gaze fixed ahead, focusing on a point in space just to the right of his face as I resisted the urge to step back. ¡°Yes, Dr List. I¡¯ll try. I just¡­ I worry I¡¯ll kill someone.¡±

    Dr List placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed harder than he needed to. I schooled my features, trying to avoid wincing. ¡°Wanda,¡± he said, his tone severe. ¡°These men know what they signed up for. They are volunteers, just like you; here to change the world, just like you. You and your brother are our greatest successes so far. Don¡¯t disrespect these men and their choices by wasting that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Dr List.¡±

    It was almost funny. Here I was, basically being given free rein to cut loose on people who¡¯d signed on with HYDRA: actual, no joke modern Nazis. I¡¯d always talked a big game about punching Nazis in my old life, but it turns out actually hurting people was a lot harder than I¡¯d originally imagined it to be, especially when I knew just how easy it would be to misjudge a hit and accidentally kill someone.

    He moved his hand from my shoulder to my chin, firmly moving my head so I had to look him in the eyes. My skin crawled. ¡°You¡¯ve never taken a life before. I know it can be hard, the first time. It will get easier. You just need practice.¡± Releasing me, he moved back around to the other side of the lab, sending his assistants scurrying with a wave of his hand. ¡°Go on now.¡±

    ¡°What about Pietro?¡± I asked, looking around.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be doing independent exercises today.¡± List peered over his glasses at me. ¡°It¡¯s important for you to be able to act separately should the need arise.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I hesitated a moment, then stepped through the door to the courtyard, blinking in the bright sunlight. A half-dozen HYDRA thugs, kitted out in body armour and combat boots, were waiting for me at the other end.

    The first couple of hours passed uneventfully. As usual, we ran through a variety of drills¡ªhitting moving targets, avoiding being tagged, exercises to help train reflexes and heighten reaction speed. I¡¯d only just started to learn to use my magic to shield myself, a development which Dr List had been particularly pleased with. We took a break, rested and rehydrated, then got back into it.

    After we had finished going through the specific training drills the HYDRA scientists had devised to help teach me how to use my powers, we entered what List liked to call ¡®free time¡¯¡ªa more free-form sparring session where my training partners would come at me however they liked, so that I could put my lessons into practice in something closer to a live combat situation. Several of the men I¡¯d been training against were rotated out for fresh ones, and I had to dodge, shield myself from their attacks if I could, and tag them back with blasts of energy. Even when I was deliberately pulling my punches, most people struggled to keep pulling themselves to their feet after taking multiple hits from my chaos magic, so free time was usually the last thing we did in a day.

    Injured thugs retreated from the courtyard through a steel door at the far end, one by one, once they managed to recover. The last one, however, lunged at me from the side before I¡¯d had a chance to catch my breath from dealing with the previous two.

    I turned, bringing up a hand, but wasn¡¯t fast enough. My head snapped back as he backhanded me across the face, sending me stumbling back a few paces with a grunt of pain. I held up a hand¡ªsignalling for a time out¡ªthen bent forward and rested both hands on my knees for a moment, blinking away the spots in my vision. He¡¯d hit me hard. That was going to bruise for sure.

    I¡¯d expected him to stop and wait for me to let him know when I was ready to continue, so was caught entirely by surprise when his booted feet appeared in my peripheral vision a split-second before his fist smashed solidly into my stomach, doubling me over. I folded and fell to the ground, hacking and wheezing, trying to get air back into my lungs. The HYDRA goon loomed over me and my eyes widened in panic as he cocked his foot back.

    I barely managed to pull my arms in and curl up, trying desperately to protect my face and body as he started kicking me while I lay helpless. I let out a croaking yelp of pain as magic bubbled up inside me, reacting to my stress, and a weak wave of red energy swept out, only just barely enough to knock him away. He staggered back, but caught himself before he fell over. He chuckled. ¡°That all you got, bitch?¡±

    Rolling onto my belly, I scrabbled to get my hands and knees under me as I took a great, gulping gasp of air. ¡°What the fuck are you doing?!¡± I choked out.

    He started back toward me and I flung out an arm, sending a poorly-aimed bolt of red energy spiralling past his shoulder as he ducked in and kicked me again, his boot hitting me squarely in the side. I cried out again as a sharp spike of pain lanced through my body and I was sent tumbling along the ground.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­ please¡­ Dr List!¡±

    ¡°Continue.¡± Dr List¡¯s voice rang out through the speaker on the wall above us.

    The HYDRA thug walked over to where I lay on the ground, reaching down and grabbing a fistful of my hair. I screamed, clawing at his hand as he started dragging me. Kicking, I managed to get my feet under me, but he yanked me forward and threw me bodily against the solid stone of the fortress¡¯s exterior wall.

    Pain exploded across my shoulder, tears starting to cloud my vision. This wasn¡¯t supposed to be happening! I winced as I tried to prop myself up against the wall and mostly failed. The thug came in close, trying to kick me while I was down again, and I flexed my fingers in his direction. A hastily-conjured bolt of chaos magic took him square in the chest, sending him tumbling away. I lay still for a few moments, exhausted, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I tried to work through the pain. Wiping my eyes with the back of my hand, I froze as the HYDRA thug groaned, dragging himself back to his feet. ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for that,¡± he hissed between his teeth.

    My body shuddered in protest as I turned toward him, raising a hand shakily. He saw me and flung himself to the side, narrowly avoiding another bolt of energy. Recovering his footing, he started back toward me, a vicious scowl on his face.

    The speaker crackled to life again. ¡°He isn¡¯t going to stop, Wanda. You know what you need to do.¡±

    I felt the bottom drop out of my stomach as the pieces fell into place. Of course. This was all on purpose. All to make me ¡®push through¡¯ and stop holding back. The HYDRA thug lunged forward and kicked me again, stomping down on my unprotected head and arms¡ªI managed to manifest a weak shield that took the worst of it, but it failed as he hit me again and again.

    I flung up my hand¡ªtoo close to avoid this time¡ªand my power spread out across his body, red wisps of energy lifting the thug off his feet and into the air. He flailed for a moment, trying vainly to escape. I froze, my entire body shaking as I struggled to do anything more than take in short, shuddering breaths. I couldn¡¯t see much more than a fuzzy blob outlined in red, my vision almost completed obscured by a mix of swelling, blood and tears.

    Dr List¡¯s voice cut through the ringing in my ears. ¡°Do it, Wanda. End this.¡±

    Trembling, I flicked my fingers, my power clawing and scrabbling at the thug as I brought up my other hand. He cried out in pain and sudden fear, yelling something I couldn¡¯t understand. Focusing as best I could, I separated my magic into two separate forces, one gripping his hips and legs, the other his chest. I was feeling lightheaded, and some distant part of me was arguing with itself over whether I was having a panic attack or ¡®only¡¯ hyperventilating.

    I pulled my fists apart and the man¡¯s panicked cries were cut off by a horrific squelching noise. I buried my face in the crook of my arm, pressing my hands to my ears, but it was far too late to block out anything. The thunk of soggy meat hitting the cobblestone seared itself into my memories.

    I collapsed onto my hands and knees¡ªsobbing and hiccupping¡ªand vomited.

    --

    Present day¡­

    ¡°Looks like we lucked out, boys and girls. Matsya Labs in New Delhi have a hit for us; the reading¡¯s consistent with the sceptre¡¯s signature.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll turn around. ETA¡­ eighty minutes. Do we have a location?¡±

    ¡°Within half a mile. Sending coordinates now¡ªI¡¯ll meet ya there.¡±

    --

    The Mind Stone floated in the air in front of me as I sat cross-legged on my bed, the gem suspended in wisps of chaos magic, its golden light almost entirely subsumed by my red. I was focused, my eyes closed, my mind probing it carefully but curiously.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    It was an Infinity Stone, a source of immense power, but when it came right down to it, I wasn¡¯t sure how I should even be using it. Despite the risks of using it, the sceptre had at least been useful as an interface insofar as it had some pretty defined functions¡ªtap or zap, basically. I¡¯d originally hoped that the Ancient One would be able to help me create a new interface, maybe modelled on the Eye of Agamotto, but that was off the table for the foreseeable future. Using the stone raw was much more difficult. Faint, almost unnoticeable wisps of chaos magic crept through the hotel as I expanded my consciousness outward. There were 47 people currently in the small building, spread across 12 floors.

    On the floor above us, thirteen-year-old Andy was teasing his little sister Stacey, having taken one of her toys away to taunt her with while their parents were oblivious in the next room. A stern thought from me and, suddenly, looking at the tears welling up in her eyes came with an extremely sharp pang of guilt, and he handed the doll back with a mumbled apology. Anil Sharma on the ground floor¡¯s front desk was trying¡ªand failing¡ªto talk himself into confessing his feelings to Geeta when he saw her after work. They were childhood friends and he¡¯d been in love with her for half his life. I gave him a push and felt his resolve crystalise, my influence shoring up his confidence. Three floors below me, Sunita and Manoj were locked together, rutting desperately, almost violently, before his brother¡ªher fianc¨¦¡ªcould return.

    I withdrew, feeling both a voyeuristic thrill at the power and a little ashamed of the massive invasion of privacy I¡¯d just committed. My already potent telepathic abilities were magnified considerably while using the stone, and I had no doubt at all that¡ªwere I so inclined¡ªseizing complete control of a person¡¯s mind and body would be almost too easy. The sceptre had posed a threat thanks to the conflict it deliberately drove you to, but the power the Mind Stone offered on its own was also dangerous in its own darkly seductive way.

    Was it ethical to mind control people? Almost definitionally, no. Was it tempting to do when you had the power easily within your grasp? Incredibly.

    I wasn¡¯t sure what else to do with it, though. Its power could obviously be drawn out and used directly as a weapon¡ªboth the sceptre and Vision had been able to do that, though with Ultron averted I¡¯d also ensured that he would never come to be either. The stone had also granted Vision the ability to phase through matter somehow, but that might¡¯ve been a quirk of it interacting with his vibranium biology and I had no idea how to even start to try to replicate it.

    The door to the bathroom opened and Pietro stepped out. ¡°What did you do to your hair?¡± Pietro asked as he pulled on a fresh shirt.

    ¡°Hmm? My hair?¡± I opened my eyes and looked at him, dismissing the threads of chaos magic and letting the Mind Stone settle back into the palm of my hand.

    Pietro just pointed at his head and waved his hand around, raising an eyebrow. Reaching back, I grabbed some of my hair and pulled it forward so I could see. Immediately, I understood why he¡¯d asked. My hair was red. Not bright red, but noticeably redder¡ªa dark auburn¡ªinstead of the chocolate brown it had been for the last twelve months. That was interesting.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± I shrugged, tucking my hair back behind my shoulder. ¡°Might be because I¡¯m more in tune with my magic, might be the stone itself¡­ who knows?¡±

    He looked at me for a moment, then nodded. ¡°I like it.¡± A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth as he came over and sat on his bed, across from me. ¡°Any luck with the ring?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± I retrieved the sling ring from my lap and put it on, focusing on a point in space just in front of me as a corona of red energy formed around my hand. After a few seconds of seating everything properly in my mind, I held up the ring-bearing hand and gestured with the other, the Mind Stone still clenched in my fist.

    My initial examination of the ring had been basically spot on. I¡¯d been concerned that it would be harder than it ended up actually being¡ªlike trying to run a Windows program on a Mac¡ªbut the relic really wasn¡¯t worried about where the magical energy was coming from. I just fed power and intent into it, and it automatically ran through the complex ritual required to open a portal as if you were running an executable. A basketball-sized portal opened in the air just in front of me, its twin opening behind Pietro¡¯s head. The spark-like threads of energy that encircled the portals were a bright crimson instead of the usual sorcerous orange, erratic wisps of chaos magic boiling off their edges, but they were otherwise identical to the portals we¡¯d seen the Ancient One and her followers create.

    I reached in, mussed Pietro¡¯s hair, then laughed as he jumped almost a full foot in the air from the unexpected touch. He hopped off the bed again to evade my reach, then looked between the two portals with no small amount of wonder. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s pretty cool,¡± he admitted.

    I grinned at him, dismissing the portals with a wave of my hand. ¡°Yes, it is.¡±

    ¡°And we can go anywhere in the world with this?¡±

    ¡°Anywhere.¡±

    He held his hands out. ¡°Like say¡­ New York? Avengers Tower?¡±

    ¡°Yes, like New York.¡± His eyes lit up and he started to smile. ¡°But not just yet,¡± I finished, rolling my eyes at him.

    Pietro sighed and collapsed back onto his bed. ¡°Where, then?¡±

    ¡°Well, I was thinking Wakanda, but the sling ring opens up a lot of options for us. Hang on a sec.¡± Absently, I opened my hand and let the Mind Stone float up, nudging it with my magic to make it hover next to me before reaching down to pull out my notebook. Before I could open it, it vanished, yanked from my hands. ¡°Hey!¡±

    Looking as though he hadn¡¯t moved at all, Pietro flipped the book open and started casting his eyes over the notes inside. ¡°This is all you remember from your visions, right?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Uh, yeah. As much as I could. Occasionally a little bit more detail comes back to me, but that¡¯s basically everything.¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯ll follow your lead, but can we just talk things through a bit more?¡± He looked up at me, his expression serious. ¡°First you wanted to go to Nepal, now you want to go to Wakanda. Why Wakanda? You said there are other options, what are they?¡±

    I pursed my lips in a small moue of annoyance. ¡°Give me my book.¡± Pietro rolled his eyes and handed it back to me. I clutched it protectively to my chest for a moment, glaring at him until I judged he had been sufficiently admonished, then opened it again and scanned the pages. ¡°Honestly, I was thinking before anything else we need a base of operations. Somewhere we can secure as a safe location that we can portal to if we need to, where we can lay low and rest. Somewhere remote.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°That sounds sensible. Like where?¡±

    ¡°I was kind of thinking Australia?¡± It was my home continent back in my original life¡ªit might be nice to see what it was like in the MCU. Part of me wondered if there was a version of me here, but I definitely wasn¡¯t going to go looking. That wasn¡¯t a can of worms I was interested in opening.

    Pietro blinked in surprised. ¡°Huh. Well, no one would ever look for us in Australia, at least.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s actually a couple of the Eternals in the middle of the outback. One of them has some sort of degenerative mental condition. I might be able to use the Mind Stone to help her¡ªthey¡¯d be powerful allies.¡±

    Pietro was looking at me dubiously. ¡°¡®Eternals¡¯?¡± he asked, using finger quotes.

    ¡°Uh, alien robot people with superpowers.¡±

    He made a face. ¡°Oh, yeah, of course. That makes total sense.¡±

    ¡°Magic and sorcerers are fine, but you draw the line at alien robots?¡±

    ¡°No, I know alien robots are real,¡± he grumbled. ¡°I just¡­ you¡¯re right. The world is crazy. Okay, so Australia. Any other possibilities?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s Ta Lo. It¡¯s in China, sort of. Pocket dimension of magic martial artists. Very difficult to find.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t exactly have a good track record with magic martial artists.¡±

    I nodded, grimacing slightly. ¡°True enough. Wakanda would be ideal, if we can get their cooperation.¡±

    ¡°You keep coming back to Wakanda. What¡¯s so special about Wakanda?¡±

    ¡°Okay. So¡­ you promise to believe me?¡±

    Pietro eyed me suspiciously. ¡°At this stage I feel like I have very little choice.¡±

    ¡°Secretly, they¡¯re an incredibly technologically advanced society. They cut themselves off from the rest of the world way back when, never suffered when Africa was being colonised, and are now leagues ahead of everyone else in the world.¡± I grinned at Pietro¡¯s surprised expression. ¡°Also, they have massive amounts of vibranium¡ªthe stuff that Captain America¡¯s shield is made out of. Most of their technology is based on it.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°¡­are there any other ridiculously advanced or magical people I should know about?¡±

    I suppressed a laugh and raised a hand, counting off on my fingers. ¡°Well, there¡¯s the Hand, K¡¯un-Lun, Talokan, Pym Technologies, the Clandestines, the Ten Rings, the Red Room, the Skrulls, Attilan¡ªthough I¡¯m not sure yet if that one actually exists¡ªand that¡¯s off the top of my head without getting into what I know about what¡¯s out in space¡­ other planets and pantheons of gods, among other things.¡±

    Pietro was quiet for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°What you¡¯ve been given¡­ it¡¯s a lot bigger than I thought it was. What we¡¯re doing, where you¡¯re taking us¡ªthis isn¡¯t just about killing Tony Stark or the Avengers anymore, is it?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said, looking at him seriously. ¡°I¡¯ve seen what¡¯s coming, and it¡¯s bigger than the Avengers. Everyone is in danger, from multiple directions. The entire planet. Everyone could die.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you told the Ancient One,¡± he said slowly. ¡°You said you wanted to make things better. That there were people who didn¡¯t need to die. You meant that.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I did. I¡¯ve been trying to look at the bigger picture.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see the bigger picture.¡± A frown twisted his features as he spoke, his hands unconsciously balling into fists. ¡°I have a little picture.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I said, my voice catching in my throat. We still looked at it together, most days. A ragged, worn family photo¡ªWanda and Pietro, ten years old, with their parents. It was all he had left of them. We¡¯d sit there and he¡¯d try to connect with his amnesiac sibling, to remind me of all I¡¯d ¡®forgotten¡¯, and I¡¯d feel like shit as I tried my best to be the sister he didn¡¯t know that he¡¯d lost. I didn¡¯t even know their parents¡¯ names.

    Sighing, he collapsed backwards on his bed. I looked from my notebook to him and back again a few times¡ªinternally arguing with myself over what I should say¡ªbefore just following his example and lying back, pressing the notebook to my chest as I stared at the ceiling. We stayed like that, quiet, but not awkward, for a few minutes.

    ¡°Oh. I almost forgot. I got you something,¡± Pietro said abruptly, sitting up and fumbling in his pockets for a moment before offering something to me, hidden in his clenched fist. ¡°Here.¡±

    I swallowed a lump in my throat as I sat back up, then hesitated before reaching out. ¡°Pietro,¡± I said, a stern note creeping into my voice. ¡°If that is a bug, I am going to be annoyed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bug.¡±

    ¡°If it is anything gross,¡± I amended. ¡°I will be annoyed.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll take it back.¡±

    ¡°No, okay, fine.¡± I tentatively held out my hand below his.

    He opened his fist, depositing a large oval locket on a thick silver chain into my palm. ¡°It was hard to find one I thought might fit. This one should be good.¡±

    I stared at it for a second before I realised what he meant. It was huge, for a locket, with elaborate embossing front and back and, importantly, it was rounded instead of flat. Flicking it open, I gestured with a hand, twitching my fingers as a swirl of chaos magic appeared around them. The Mind Stone flew over from where it had been hovering near my shoulder and dropped snugly into the open space. I clicked it closed, then shook it a couple of times to make sure it wasn¡¯t just going to pop open.

    Pietro reached out a hand expectantly. I nodded, handing the locket and chain to him, then reached back and gathered my hair up out of the way. He was behind me almost instantly, carefully looping the chain around my neck and securing it at the back.

    Letting down my hair, I looked up at him, a mixture of emotions warring on my face. ¡°This was really thoughtful. Thank you.¡±

    I fingered the locket absently. Despite what had happened at Kamar-taj, not everything had been a total disaster. This, at the very least, was a solid victory. Ultron was permanently averted, saving countless lives in the process, and I had an Infinity Stone. We had a sling ring, and plenty of options. Things were finally starting to look up.

    We both almost jumped out of our skin at a sudden pounding on the door to the room. A loud, familiar voice rang out a second later. ¡°Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, this is Steve Rogers. I¡¯d like to talk.¡±

 Chapter 7

    My heart leapt into my throat as Pietro and I looked at each other, eyes wide. ¡°They¡¯re knocking?¡± he asked incredulously.

    ¡°Uh, just a minute!¡± I called out, before lowering my voice and gesturing urgently. ¡°We need to get the fuck out of here. We don¡¯t need to fight them.¡± I wasn¡¯t ready for this. How did they even find us? I wasn¡¯t opposed to a one-on-one chat with Captain America¡ªit would probably even be a really good idea¡ªbut he wouldn¡¯t be alone, and it wouldn¡¯t just be a chat. If it was the whole team, I was going to have a hell of a time convincing Pietro not to go on the attack.

    Flinching back as if I¡¯d struck him, Pietro¡¯s face twisted in anger as he hissed back. ¡°What do you mean we don¡¯t need to fight them? If Stark is here¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m coming in,¡± Captain America announced, following by a crunch as he popped the lock on the door. Pietro and I backed up instinctively, settling into loose, ready stances as the door swung open. Slowly, deliberately, Steve Rogers walked into the room clad in his star-spangled body armour¡ªshield held at the ready, eyeing us both warily. ¡°Easy. Let¡¯s have a conversation.¡±

    My chest felt tight, my breathing starting to quicken. This wasn¡¯t good. We were cornered¡ªthere was only one door to the apartment, which Cap was currently standing in front of. There was a window near me, but the curtains were drawn and I couldn¡¯t see outside. If I were planning the Avengers¡¯ approach here, I¡¯d have at least one teammate outside, probably Iron Man or Hawkeye, to provide support if we tried to escape that way. Our only easy escape route would be a portal, and in close quarters it would be difficult to weave one without being interrupted. If I could even concentrate on it well enough while under fire¡ªI was still a novice at creating them, after all.

    ¡°You know,¡± I said, holding out a hand toward Pietro to ward him off from initiating a fight. ¡°Typically, it¡¯s considered polite to wait for the door to be opened rather than breaking the lock.¡±

    Captain America smiled lightly. ¡°Apologies for being a bit forward, but under the circumstances I hope you can understand.¡±

    The corner of my mouth tugged upward as I involuntarily returned the smile. This was Cap, after all. He was a good guy. The tightness in my chest loosened slightly as I looked at him. Steve cut an impressive figure in person; not just his physique and good looks, either, but there felt like there was a reassuring weight to his presence. I mean, the good looks and charisma definitely helped, but¡­

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Pietro hissed at me, shooting me a look.

    I felt my cheeks turn pink. Okay, enough staring. I shot Pietro an annoyed look before turning back to the Avenger. ¡°Okay, here we are.¡± I cleared my throat nervously. ¡°You wanted to talk, so talk.¡±

    He looked back and forth between the two of us. ¡°When we took down Strucker, you didn¡¯t fight us. You abandoned HYDRA and ran.¡±

    ¡°We did,¡± I said. ¡°We were never loyal to HYDRA. We just wanted what they could offer us.¡±

    ¡°A chance to change the world. To protect your country,¡± Steve said, nodding. ¡°I understand that more than most.¡±

    ¡°You understand nothing,¡± Pietro snorted, shaking his head. He was getting agitated, lightly bouncing on the balls of his feet. ¡°You think you are the same as us? I¡¯ve read about you. You were a volunteer. Another American glory hound, an eager little puppy signing up to ¡®fight the good fight¡¯. We did not ask for this.¡±

    Steve relaxed his stance, letting his shield droop, trying to look less threatening. ¡°You¡¯re right. You didn¡¯t. You lost your parents in the bombings. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°You think because you read our files you understand what we¡¯ve been through?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ve lost people before, but not like you did.¡±

    Pietro hesitated, seemingly expecting a different answer. I guess he¡¯d expected the US¡¯s poster boy to be more defensive and less understanding. I took the opportunity to interject¡ªmaybe we could clear this whole thing up right here, right now. If I could get Pietro to see that the Avengers were good guys¡­ ¡°Do you know who made those bombs? Who sold them?¡±

    The Avenger only looked mildly discomfited by the question. ¡°I can guess,¡± he hedged.

    ¡°We were ten years old,¡± Pietro said, his tone softening as he looked over at me. I nodded in encouragement. ¡°Having dinner¡ªthe four of us. The first shell hits, two floors below, makes a hole in the floor.¡± He paused, shaking his head at the memory. ¡°It¡¯s big. Our parents go in. The whole building starts coming apart. I grab her, roll under the bed, and the second shell hits. But it doesn¡¯t go off. It just¡­ sits there in the rubble. Three feet from our faces. And on the side of the shell is painted one word.¡±

    There was a moment of subdued silence, then Captain America answered Pietro¡¯s unspoken question. ¡°Stark.¡± I could see the understanding in his face, the realisation that¡ªfor the Maximoffs¡ªthis had never been about HYDRA, or our country, or changing the world. Not really.

    Pietro nodded. ¡°We were trapped for two days.¡±

    Taking a deep breath, I met Steve¡¯s eyes and pictured in my mind when the twins had explained this to Ultron in the original timeline. It felt important, somehow, that I get the wording right. ¡°Every effort to save us, every shift in the bricks, we think ¡®this will set it off¡¯. We waited for two days for Tony Stark to kill us.¡±

    ¡°We know what he is,¡± Pietro said, venom rising in his tone again. ¡°And we know what you are.¡±

    Captain America was quiet for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°Killing Tony Stark won¡¯t make things right. It won¡¯t undo what was done to you, or bring back your parents. It won¡¯t even make you feel better.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Pietro said simply.

    ¡°¡­I understand. We still don¡¯t need to fight,¡± Steve said, wisely changing tack. Unpicking the knot that was Pietro¡¯s hatred of Tony Stark was not going to be the work of one conversation. ¡°We¡¯re only here for the sceptre. It doesn¡¯t belong to you. If you hand it over, we¡¯ll leave you be.¡±

    Pietro just snorted. ¡°What, we hand it over and you just walk away? That easy?¡±

    ¡°That easy.¡±

    Pietro glanced at me and shook his head, a dubious expression on his face. I gestured toward the bed. ¡°May I?¡±

    I waited for Captain America to nod a confirmation before wisps of red energy played across my fingers, slipping under the bed and retrieving the discarded sceptre. I floated it through the air toward him and he tentatively reached out a hand, taking it from my telekinetic grasp. He took in the head of the artifact where the power source had been, shards of blue crystal still clinging to the metal, then looked back at me questioningly.

    ¡°It, uh, broke,¡± I said, looking a little sheepish. ¡°So, if that¡¯s everything, we¡¯ll just be on our way?¡±

    ¡°The power source?¡±

    ¡°Gone. Destroyed,¡± I lied again, then inhaled sharply as I made the connection. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s how you found us. Gamma radiation. I didn¡¯t think¡­ anyway. Uh, the sceptre gave Pietro and I our powers, so, if you¡¯ve detected any stray radiation, it¡¯s probably just us.¡± I kicked myself internally; that wasn¡¯t how that worked, I was pretty sure they knew that that wasn¡¯t how it worked, and saying it like that was incredibly suspicious. I¡¯d never been the best liar.

    ¡°That¡¯s a nice necklace.¡±

    I froze. ¡°Thanks. My brother gave it to me.¡± Okay, yeah, the jig was up. Iron Man was probably actively scanning the room right now and feeding him information through his earpiece.

    ¡°May I see it?¡±

    ¡°Uh, no. It¡¯s¡­ personal?¡±

    Steve gave me a disappointed look and I dropped my eyes to the floor, unable to meet his gaze. It was weird how actually bad it felt to disappoint Captain America. ¡°Wanda, please. I understand why you don¡¯t trust us, but we can¡¯t let you keep it. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± It didn¡¯t look like we were going to get out of this cleanly after all. ¡°I¡¯d be much happier talking about this in a more neutral setting, one where you don¡¯t have an entire team ready to pounce on us the moment we look like we¡¯re not going to cooperate.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, too,¡± he said softly. ¡°The two of you can still just walk away from this.¡±

    Pietro smirked. ¡°Oh, we will.¡±

    In the time it took for me to wince at that comment, he was already a blur. I didn¡¯t bother trying to track his movement properly, trusting him to take down Captain America and hopefully anyone else lurking in the hallway outside. Instead, guessing that we were almost certainly surrounded, I turned and flung out both arms, summoning a curtain of chaos magic between me and the window. A split second later, my decision was vindicated when twin repulsor blasts utterly obliterated the window and surrounding wall¡ªmy shield buckled slightly as it was pelted with a rain of debris, but held.

    Through gaps in the red wisps of energy, I could see Iron Man hovering outside, red-and-gold armoured hands extended toward the building, palms still glowing. Where were the others? Thor and Black Widow would almost certainly be in the building, potentially right outside of the door that Pietro had just darted through. Hawkeye might be there, or he might have an overwatch position on the roof across the street. Hulk? No, Banner wouldn¡¯t be too close, they wouldn¡¯t have called in a Code Green just yet.

    By the time I looked back at the room, Pietro had darted out into the hallway and Captain America was only just starting to unsteadily pull himself back to his feet. I skittered over to him, one hand wrapped around the locket containing the Mind Stone while the other moved to his temple, his eyes briefly glowing red with chaos magic as I reached into his head.

    There was a whine of repulsors as Iron Man shredded my shield with another double-strength blast then swooped inside and aimed his hands toward me. ¡°Alright kid, step away from the Cap, hands where I can see them.¡±

    I obeyed, raising both hands above my head in a gesture of surrender. Glancing over at Captain America, I nodded my head toward Iron Man and twitched the fingers of one hand, massaging the connection I¡¯d just established with his mind. ¡°Quick, HYDRA stole one of Tony¡¯s suits!¡±

    Stark barely had enough time to say ¡®what?¡¯ before the vibranium shield bounced off his faceplate with a satisfying whunk, sending him reeling backwards in midair. I ducked past Captain America as he lunged forward to continue the attack, taking just enough time to scoop up my notebook from where it had fallen before running out into the hallway. Pietro was standing over Black Widow and Hawkeye, both heroes seemingly unconscious. No sign of Thor, surprisingly. I didn¡¯t stop, holding out my hands as I ran, trying not to lose my grip on my notebook as I gestured.

    I focused on a memory, reasoning it didn¡¯t really matter where we went, so long as it was something I could call up quickly. Red sparks threaded into a portal, energy boiling off the edges of the magical gateway as it appeared at the end of the hallway. ¡°Go!¡± I yelled, and Pietro ducked through it a few steps ahead of me.

    Something slapped my ankle and suddenly every muscle in my body simultaneously seized up and turned to jelly, notebook dropping from my nerveless fingers as I collapsed mid-step. Falling forward, I freaked out internally a bit when my face missed the edge of my escape portal by maybe an inch, a split-second before it winked out of existence. Sprawled out on my side, my muscles spasming painfully, I managed to twist my head to look down at what had tagged me and locked eyes with Natasha Romanov, the Black Widow. She¡¯d managed to pull herself upright enough to hit me with her wrist-mounted stun gun thing.

    Incongruously, my heart lifted slightly at the determined look on her face. I really didn¡¯t want to be fighting her. Nat had been one of my favourite characters, alongside Wanda, and her sacrifice to retrieve the Soul Stone had been yet another disappointing waste. One more thing I was determined to avert.

    Dragging herself over to me, Nat grabbed my hip roughly with one hand and flipped me over onto my stomach. My face bounced off the tacky patterned carpet and I grunted in protest, desperately trying to get any of my muscles to respond. While I struggled, she clambered on top of me¡ªstraddling my ass¡ªand grabbed my wrists, pulling them back to bind them with what I assumed was a zip-tie. Choking out a laugh, I grumbled half to her, half to myself, ¡°Black Widow on top of me, tying me up. I think I had a dream like this once.¡±

    Despite the situation, I was gratified to hear a small snort of amusement from behind me. ¡°Then be a good girl for me and stay put,¡± she said offhandedly as she double-checked to make sure my hands were secure. ¡°Tony? Steve? There was some sort of¡­ portal. The brother¡¯s gone, I¡¯ve got the sister.¡±

    ¡°When you put it like that, I wish I could,¡± I said, focusing on my hands. My muscles weren¡¯t seizing up as badly now and feeling was starting to return to them. I wiggled my fingers.

    I heard furniture smashing and several muffled clangs coming from the room we¡¯d just exited, then felt Black Widow shift on top of me. ¡°Steve, stand down, you¡¯ve been compromised.¡±

    A few feet from me, Clint Barton groaned in pain, rolling himself onto his back. ¡°Did anyone get the number of that truck?¡± he sighed, reaching up to rub his head with one hand.

    I took a few deep breaths, focusing my mind, then exhaled as I grasped the wellspring of power within me. The locket containing the Mind Stone was digging sharply into my collarbone¡ªI tapped into it, tiny threads of chaos magic weaving around me. My consciousness bloomed outward, expanding just far enough for me to reach into Black Widow¡¯s mind, and I seized control, forcing her to raise her arm and shoot Hawkeye with her stun gun.

    She blinked, confused by what had just happened, and I astrally projected, exiting my body backwards and passing invisibly through her. Summoning energy to my astral hands, I blasted her full in the back with a bolt of chaos magic, sending her tumbling off me to land in a heap on top of Clint. Looking down at my bound body, I telekinetically snapped the zip-tie binding my wrists with a sharp gesture, then sunk back down into myself.

    I pulled myself to my feet, legs still a bit shaky, as I surveyed the situation. Black Widow and Hawkeye were hopefully down for the count. Still no sign of Thor or Banner at all¡ªwere they just not here? Recovering my notebook from where it had fallen, I almost didn¡¯t catch the change in the noises coming from the next room. Turning, I threw up a shield at the same time as the whine of a repulsor signalled Iron Man stepping around the corner.

    The shield held, giving me enough time to lash out with a torrent of telekinetic power. I didn¡¯t bother trying to brute force the Iron Man suit, even though I thought I probably could¡ªinstead, I sent tendrils of power into it, infiltrating every gap and crevice, and started gesturing rapidly. Stark jerked to one side as he took a step forward, hand raised, but the glow of the repulsor in his palm died abruptly as he tried to fire it again. A small micromissile unit popped out of his shoulder, then sparked and drooped impotently instead of firing. He paused. ¡°Alright, lady, you¡¯re really starting to piss me off.¡±

    I didn¡¯t stop, backpedalling rapidly, flicking my fingers to randomly tear at the electronics inside his suit, doing as much damage as I could. Giving up on his weapon systems, Stark tried lunging forward to try to grab me, but his movements were jerky and slow and I managed to stay ahead of him. Thrusting out a hand, I caught the suit in a web of telekinetic energy. He strained against it, servos whirring and shorting out. I tilted my head to the side, a slight smile touching my lips. ¡°Performance issues, Stark?¡±

    ¡°This usually never happens,¡± he quipped back, struggling to point a hand toward me. I gestured and his arm was flung out to the side just as a burst of white¡ªfire suppressant?¡ªburst from it, painting the hallway wall instead of my face. ¡°Uh. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Oh god, that was perfect, I needed something¡­ something about premature ejaculation? No, that didn¡¯t work. It was on the tip of my tongue. Fuck. Nope, I didn¡¯t have anything. I closed my fist slowly, annoyed that I hadn¡¯t come up with a good line, causing some of his armour plates to buckle alarmingly before I eased off the pressure and sighed. ¡°We don¡¯t have to be enemies, Stark. I don¡¯t want to fight you.¡±

    ¡°Gonna be honest, you¡¯re not doing a real good job demonstrating that.¡±

    I frowned, annoyed. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing the best I can. You¡¯re the ones that came after us.¡± I gestured to the hallway. ¡°You¡¯re extremely lucky my brother was sent away, otherwise you¡¯d be dead right now.¡±

    ¡°Do you see how, when you say things like that, it does sound like we¡¯re actually enemies?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t come after us again. When we¡¯re ready, we¡¯ll come to you.¡±

    ¡°Again, sounding real enemy-like here.¡±

    I sighed, then flicked my hand to the side like I was backhanding a fly that was buzzing in my face. Iron Man was flung sideways, smashing cleanly through the flimsy wall and out of sight. I didn¡¯t wait for him to recover, focusing for a moment before opening another portal.

    Pietro was by my side almost instantly, eyes wide and full of worry. ¡°Are you okay? I thought¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, let¡¯s go.¡± I said, already halfway through the portal. Once we were both safely on the other side, I dismissed it with a curt gesture and leant my head against the cool stone wall, breathing heavily. We were safe, for now. That had been close. Too close. I¡¯d underestimated how easily the Avengers would be able to find us.

    ¡°We¡¯re not staying here long, right?¡± Pietro asked hesitantly.

    I shook my head, raising my head to look around. ¡°I¡¯ll open another in a moment, just catching my breath.¡±

    The silent walls of the HYDRA research base loomed large around us. We were standing in one of the exterior courtyards¡ªone that I knew extremely well. This was the only place I thought I could focus on well enough to open a portal to quickly, with minimal chance of being publicly observed, but I really did not want to linger here. Too many bad memories.

    I was already starting to feel trapped by the high stone walls encircling us, even knowing that HYDRA were long gone and the Avengers were a decent distance away. I had no doubt that there were sensors or cameras that would alert the Sokovian authorities to our presence, but I didn¡¯t intend for us to be here long enough for them to mount a response.

    I turned, leaning back against the wall and sliding down to sit on the hard cobblestones, knees held close to my chest. I had really, really hoped my first meeting with the Avengers would go better than that. They were already predisposed toward seeing me as an enemy, and while I¡¯d tried to undo some of that bias, I was pretty sure I¡¯d only ended up reinforcing it. Every step I took forward, it felt like I was taking two steps back, moving me further and further away from my goals. I looked down at my notebook, half crumpled in my hand.

    Pietro sat down next to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said.

    I looked over at him. ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You looked sad.¡± He gently nudged my shoulder with his. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡­ back there, when we were talking to America.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not wrong, though,¡± I said softly. ¡°We kill Stark. Then what?¡±

    Pietro exhaled sharply, a measured note of anger in his voice. ¡°The big picture, huh?¡±

    I turned my head to look at him searchingly. I knew he had it in him to set aside the grudge and work toward a mutual goal of saving people, but I had no idea how to get him there without the specific sequence of events that I¡¯d already butterflied out of existence.

    ¡°Wakanda,¡± I said eventually.

    ¡°Wakanda,¡± Pietro agreed.

    ¡°Johannesburg first, though. There¡¯s something we need to pick up on the way.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Natasha turned the sceptre over in her hands, examining the alien metal carefully. The empty space in the head, where the artifact¡¯s power source had been, still had some jagged blue crystal sticking to it. The way the gem had been moulded to the top of the device had meant that it couldn¡¯t be removed without being broken. She¡¯d found a handful of blue shards in the bin next to the bed and there were a few more stuck in the carpet. There was much more than she¡¯d have expected if they¡¯d just snapped the gem off the sceptre to keep it, but nowhere near enough to account for the whole thing, which was consistent with their theory that Wanda had taken something from inside it.

    She glanced up as Tony awkwardly flew in through the shattered wall of the hotel room, balanced on the two repulsors that were still working, the one on his left foot cutting in and out erratically. He landed heavily on the carpet, looking over to where Steve stood vigilantly by the door. ¡°Find anything?¡±

    ¡°Not a lot,¡± said Steve, shaking his head. ¡°You?¡±

    ¡°No sign of them. The gamma signal¡¯s vanished completely. Wherever that portal went, it was far away from here.¡± Tony rolled his neck and the lights in his faceplate dimmed for a moment. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m not sure who did more damage, you or her.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Tony.¡±

    ¡°No, no; you hit me, I dropped you off a building. We¡¯re even,¡± he said. Servos whirred and sparked in protest as the front of Tony¡¯s suit opened up. He stepped out, wincing and stretching his neck, before glancing back over his shoulder at it. ¡°Sentry mode.¡± The armour started to close up but got stuck halfway through, jerking upright as though tugged on by invisible marionette strings, then fell over. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be about right.¡±

    Once the team had recovered from the fight, they¡¯d spent some time surveying the area and gathering up whatever evidence they could from the ruins of the hotel room that the Maximoffs had been staying in. There was a laptop, which Nat had already pulled the search history of¡ªa preliminary look didn¡¯t reveal anything too enlightening, though they¡¯d looked up several seemingly-random businesses in New York, which was concerning, and had downloaded some of the SHIELD/HYDRA data that Nat had leaked a while back. She resolved to pay the Nelson and Murdock Law Office and Alias Investigations a visit once they¡¯d gotten back to the city, just to cover all their bases and make sure the employees had no links to HYDRA or their wayward Enhanced.

    ¡°Thor far off?¡± asked Clint, who was currently crouched over the carpet, carefully extracting needles of blue crystal.

    Seemingly in answer to the archer¡¯s question, there was a muffled boom from outside. A moment later Thor vaulted from the neighbouring rooftop, joining them with an easy leap down through the hole in the building. The Asgardian prince surveyed his beaten allies for a moment, then grinned.

    ¡°Not a word,¡± said Tony, which just made his smile wider.

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Steve, heading off whatever comment Thor was about to make in response. ¡°Now that everyone¡¯s here that¡¯s gonna be here, what do we know?¡±

    ¡°We know we got our asses¡¯ kicked,¡± grumbled Tony.

    ¡°You were overconfident. You should have waited for me before you attacked them,¡± Thor said, the smug smile still tugging at the corner of his mouth.

    ¡°Not sure you would have done much better, Point Break.¡±

    ¡°A weak mortal mind is more susceptible to enchantment than that of a god. I would not have succumbed so easily,¡± he responded. ¡°And while the brother may be fast, I am mighty.¡±

    ¡°What were those portals she created?¡± Steve asked, trying to get everyone back on track. ¡°Those weren¡¯t in HYDRA¡¯s files.¡±

    Clint scratched the back of his head. ¡°The sceptre¡¯s power source? Leftover power from the Tesseract, maybe? We know it can create wormholes.¡±

    Nat shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The energy used to create them was red, same as her other abilities, not blue.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s lucky that all energy is colour-coded for our convenience,¡± Stark snorted. ¡°There was a lot of microwave radiation mixed up in my readings, along with the gamma. I¡¯ll get it back to Bruce and maybe we can make heads or tails of it.¡±

    Steve ¡®hmm¡¯ed thoughtfully. ¡°Are her abilities more flexible than HYDRA thought? She¡¯s learning new ways to use them?¡±

    ¡°Okay, but why break the sceptre?¡± Clint asked.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± Tony said, nodding. ¡°You steal a magic staff that lets you control peoples¡¯ brains only to break it? Why? What do they want with the power source?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like she had much difficulty controlling brains as it is.¡± Nat shared a look with Steve and frowned uncomfortably as she remembered the way Wanda had invaded her mind, making her body move against her will. That wasn¡¯t an experience she was eager to repeat.

    ¡°These Enhanced, their abilities were created by the sceptre in the first place, were they not?¡± Thor asked. ¡°Perhaps it empowers her.¡±

    Steve nodded. ¡°It would explain her new capabilities.¡±

    ¡°That just puts us back to square one,¡± Clint interjected. ¡°We still don¡¯t have any idea where they¡¯re headed or what they¡¯re planning.¡±

    ¡°We know exactly what they want,¡± Tony said, his tone a bit more subdued. ¡°No use tiptoeing around it. ¡®We¡¯ll come to you when we¡¯re ready¡¯.¡±

    Steve shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t buy it, Tony. She had you dead to rights, didn¡¯t she? If they just wanted to kill you, she could have done it then and there.¡±

    ¡°Maybe. She seemed pretty sure that her brother would have killed me if he was still there. I don¡¯t know why she held off but, honestly, I wouldn¡¯t blame ¡®em. Both sides of the conflict that killed their parents were using Stark Industries weapons.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not responsible for that, Tony,¡± Nat interjected. ¡°Stane sold those weapons, not you.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t I?¡± he snapped back, a little more harshly than she was expecting. ¡°I ran an arms manufacturer. I had my fun showing off to the US military, and was happy to let the company do whatever so long as it made a profit. The bottom line is I signed off on making those bombs.¡± There was a long pause, then he sighed. ¡°They know about the gamma radiation, but Jarvis has hooked himself into news, law enforcement channels, and social media, looking for keywords,¡± he said, changing the subject. ¡°Even if they avoid being picked up by the tracking algorithm, we might get a hit from another source if they use their abilities anywhere with witnesses.¡±

    Steve looked at him for a long moment, then nodded. ¡°Sounds good. Let¡¯s regroup back at the Tower. We¡¯ll get some rest and be ready to move when they show up again¡ªthey won¡¯t stay hidden forever.¡±

    --

    Without knowing exactly where to start, we took a short detour to pick up a new laptop so I could do some pre-travel research, thanks to a random coffee shop¡¯s free Wi-Fi. We didn¡¯t end up wasting any actual time visiting Johannesburg¡ªI knew that Ulysses Klaue¡¯s operation was based in a ship salvage yard on the coast, so that meant it was further away from the city than I¡¯d initially thought it was. Some quick browsing came up with a few likely locations, and thanks to Google Street View giving me visual references for my portals and Pietro¡¯s ability to quickly scout once we arrived, working our way through them only took a couple of hours.

    Our destination was a short trip from Richards Bay, a small city that sat on a 30 square kilometre lagoon of the Mhlatuze River. It was one of the largest harbours in the country, hosting a port that was once the biggest coal export facility in the world. A leisurely super speed run north along the coast was the salvage yard: several small buildings, a fenced-off dirt parking lot, an assortment of broken and rusted vehicles, and piles of other, less-identifiable junk. All of it was spread roughly around the edges of a sand flat with a half-dozen beached, decommissioned cargo haulers looming quietly in the sun.

    We snuck in quietly, Pietro running us into the lee of one of the main buildings. There were a handful of workers scattered around, breaking down salvage, loading or unloading things from nondescript white box trucks, and doing whatever else people who worked in junkyards do. There was a gentle sea breeze rolling in, but it was mostly overwhelmed by the reek of iron, rust, oil and an acrid chemical smell I couldn¡¯t identify. Peeking around the corner of the building, I looked out at the beached ships¡ªeach was an enormous, impressive-looking vessel. I guessed that they formerly hauled coal, back when the port at Richards Bay was more profitable.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°So, the man we¡¯re looking for, his operation is based out of one of those?¡± Pietro asked, appearing at my shoulder and following my gaze.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said absently, scanning the ships to see if there were any clues as to which was our target. We were a bit too far away to pick out any unusual details, and there were no signs of movement. I glanced over at him. ¡°Okay, here¡¯s the plan: we portal to the top of a ship, you do a quick scout around to see if there¡¯s anyone there and take out any lookouts, rinse and repeat until we find the right one.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡± Pietro reached up to crack his neck.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that, it¡¯s bad for you,¡± I scolded, but he just rolled his eyes in response. Sighing, I chose a spot on top of the nearest ship, sheltered from the view of the others by the cabin on the main deck. I spun up a portal and Pietro was through in a flash, with me following a second or two behind.

    The cargo hauler was in horrible condition. The deck seemed almost fifty percent rust by weight and I stood on it gingerly, half-expecting my foot to go right through. I had no idea if Wanda had been up to date on her tetanus shots¡ªSokovia¡¯s healthcare system left a lot to be desired, from what I could tell¡ªbut I really hoped so. Pietro was nowhere in sight, so I stayed put and waited.

    I didn¡¯t need to wait long. About ten seconds after I¡¯d stepped through the portal, he appeared next to me. ¡°Clear, no sign of anyone.¡± I nodded, and we repeated the process on the next two ships. On the fourth ship, Pietro returned to me with a nod and a grin. There¡¯d been three lookouts abovedeck, who he¡¯d neatly knocked unconscious before they had a chance to alert anyone else. ¡°Now what?¡±

    ¡°We only want the leader¡ªhis name¡¯s Ulysses Klaue. The rest aren¡¯t important.¡±

    Pietro shrugged and looked at me questioningly. ¡°So we kick their asses?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not keen to fight if we don¡¯t have to¡­ I have an idea, let me see if I can clear everyone out.¡± I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, holding my hands out to either side as I summoned strands of scarlet energy and wrapped them around the Mind Stone at my neck. My consciousness slowly blossomed outwards over the cargo ship, allowing me to sense the minds of the men inside. Near-invisible wisps of chaos magic crept through the rusting hulk, connecting me to each of them: there were fourteen, including Klaue himself, who paced in a small room overlooking the main interior cargo space.

    In the original timeline, Wanda had helped evacuate Novi Grad by reaching out to people¡¯s minds in the area¡ªthis was the same principle, just backed up by the power of the Mind Stone. Given the subtlety I¡¯d been able to act with back at the hotel in New Delhi, I was hoping I could push everyone to leave the area without even understanding why they¡¯d done it.

    First, though, I focused on Klaue. I didn¡¯t want him to be alerted when his men started abandoning ship. I already knew how to cloud someone¡¯s perception of myself, so I figured that theoretically I should be able to expand the effect to dull his awareness of anything outside of the cabin he was in. I took in the cabin around him, using his senses to build a picture of it in my own mind until it was almost like I was standing there, next to him.

    And then I was standing there, next to him.

    Klaue reacted instantly, stepping back to grab a gun from the desk, training it on me. ¡°What the fuck? Where did you come from?¡±

    I stared back at him with wide eyes, hands raised in a placating gesture. ¡°Uh, what¡­?¡± In the back of my mind, I could still feel myself back on the deck of the ship, channelling the power of the Mind Stone¡ªit felt vaguely reminiscent of the disoriented sensation of being in two places at once that I got when I tried to control my body while astral projecting. I stared at the back of my hand for a moment. It looked solid, normal.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Klaue demanded, thrusting the gun forward slightly to emphasise the question. ¡°How did you get in here?¡±

    I took in his greasy, messy hair, the grubby clothes that might have been tan-coloured at one point, and the smell of sweat and grime. He looked real, too. My fingers twitched, summoning a wisp of chaos magic. ¡°Easy, I¡ª¡±

    I was cut off as he fired his gun. It was point-blank, and I didn¡¯t remotely have enough time to conjure a shield. Whatever was happening broke and I jerked back into my body, gasping, one hand flying up to my chest where I could still vaguely feel where the bullet had hit me.

    Pietro was behind me instantly, his arm already behind my back steadying me, eyes wide with surprise and concern. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± I trailed off, slightly confused. It had kind of been like I was astral projecting, but not¡ªKlaue had seen me, without me having to forcibly visibly manifest, and I hadn¡¯t been translucent or anything. It had been uncannily like I was actually, physically there, even though I knew I hadn¡¯t been. Klaue had shot me, and¡­ I snapped out of my reverie. ¡°Uh, sorry, they know we¡¯re here. Plan B.¡±

    ¡°Kick their asses?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Kick their asses.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t much of a fight. Pietro sped off and I heard muffled gunshots begin almost immediately. Once I¡¯d taken a few moments to steady myself and check to make sure I didn¡¯t have an actual physical injury from seemingly being shot in the chest, I took the stairs leading belowdecks to find that Pietro had already essentially taken down the whole crew himself. I just followed the trail of bodies. They were unconscious for the most part, but at least one had gotten riddled with what I assume had been friendly fire.

    As I walked, I mused about what had just happened. I¡¯d actually completely forgotten that, at one point, Loki had used the sceptre to project his consciousness an unknown distance across the galaxy to communicate with one of Thanos¡¯s servants. Immediately, my thoughts turned to space. I¡¯d originally written off space as a lost cause for now because I had no way of getting off-planet, but if Loki could communicate across the universe, perhaps I could, too? Would it be as easy as calling up the Guardians of the Galaxy and asking them to come pick us up in exchange for information and an alliance against Thanos?

    I¡¯d caught up to Pietro at this point, who had just casually disarmed Klaue and had him cornered in his office, so I shelved the thought for later. Getting my game face on, I stepped inside and met the arms dealer¡¯s eyes. Pietro stood ready, bouncing gently on the balls of his feet.

    ¡°Ah, the Enhanced. Strucker¡¯s prize pupils.¡± The arms dealer chuckled, more relaxed now that he thought he realised who he was dealing with. Seemingly unconcerned with his predicament, he sat down at the chair next to his desk and reached over to pick up a small dish of wrapped sweets, wiggling it in our direction. ¡°Want a candy?¡± When neither of us immediately responded, he placed it back on the desk and continued talking. ¡°That was a neat trick, the way you popped in here. Looked about as surprised as I was, though.¡±

    ¡°You shot me,¡± I said, flatly.

    He shrugged. ¡°You startled me.¡± He looked back and forth between the two of us, his gaze thoughtful. ¡°I hear Strucker¡¯s supposed to be on his way to the Netherlands soon, though of course he¡¯ll ¡®escape¡¯ before NATO can finish the transfer. What are the two of you doing here?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not with Strucker anymore. HYDRA is done.¡±

    Klaue scoffed. ¡°You think they¡¯re just going to let you walk away? Strucker put a lot of effort into developing the two of you. He¡¯s going to be looking to recoup his investment.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll take that under advisement. If I were you, I¡¯d be a lot less concerned about us, and a lot more concerned about myself,¡± I said, narrowing my eyes at him.

    He looked back at me like he would a small child. ¡°Is this your first time? Intimidating someone? I''m afraid I''m not that afraid.¡±

    I remembered the similar scene that played out in the original timeline, and couldn¡¯t resist the canned line. ¡°Everybody¡¯s afraid of something,¡± I said, stepping toward him and letting some chaos magic bubble up from the surface to make my eyes flash red.

    Klaue raised a finger as though I¡¯d made a good point. ¡°Cuttlefish. Deep sea fish. They make lights¡ªdisco lights. Whoom, whoom, whoom!¡± he made a noise with his mouth, gesturing with his hand as he did so. ¡°To hypnotize their prey, then whoosh!¡± He lashed out with a fist, closing it around imaginary prey, then nodded at us seriously. ¡°I saw a documentary; it was terrifying.¡±

    Despite his bravado the arms dealer still flinched slightly as Pietro blurred, stepping over to the desk to retrieve one of the sweets from the dish before returning to his previous spot, moving almost faster than the eye could see. I shot him a disapproving look and he shrugged at me, unwrapping the candy and popping it into his mouth.

    Klaue sighed. ¡°So, if you''re going to fiddle with my brain and make me see a giant cuttlefish, then I know you don''t do business, and I know you''re not in charge,¡± he said, standing up as he looked evenly between Pietro and I. ¡°And I only deal with the man in charge.¡±

    Pietro looked at me and I let out a small chuckle before nodding. ¡°Fine then. How about the woman in charge? Let¡¯s talk business.¡±

    The arms dealer spread his arms out in a welcoming gesture, his face splitting into a wide grin. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s more like it. So, what are you in the market for?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for something special, and I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re the only supplier this side of the Wakandan border.¡±

    ¡°Ah, a woman of discerning taste I see.¡± Klaue said, inclining his head in understanding. ¡°Come on, then, and I¡¯ll show you what I have.¡± Standing back up, he indicated the doorway with a hand.

    I stepped back and gestured for him to go first. Klaue met my eyes, snorted in amusement, then headed through. Leading us down to the main cargo storage of the ship, Klaue paused for a moment once we arrived and looked around. After a moment, he scowled slightly and glanced at me. ¡°I¡¯d have preferred my men intact.¡±

    I kept my face expressionless. ¡°We¡¯ll be more tactful in future.¡±

    Sucking his teeth reluctantly, the arms dealer led us further down and stopped in front of the door to one of the cargo bays. The metal door was thick, but moved relatively easily in its track to show a cramped space, crammed full of decrepit drums marked as toxic waste in thick, stencilled lettering. A hidden keypad to the side of the door caused the entire space to shift downwards like an elevator, revealing the real cargo stored here.

    Klaue ducked inside and plucked one of the steel-capped glass canisters from the rack, stepping back out to offer it to me to inspect. A shard of luminescent blue and black ore glowed faintly inside, as long as my forearm and twice as thick. It looked cool as fuck. Inside the cargo space was at least another thirty exactly like it. ¡°Vibranium,¡± I breathed. I passed it to Pietro so he could look too.

    ¡°You know, it came at great personal cost,¡± Klaue said, unconsciously scratching at the brand on the back of his neck. ¡°It¡¯s worth billions.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± I replied. ¡°And I know how protective Wakanda is of their miracle metal. So, I¡¯m hoping returning all of this will open a few doors for us there.¡±

    The arms dealer turned, alarmed, making a face like he¡¯d just sucked on a lemon. ¡°You what?¡±

    I flicked a hand toward him, threads of chaos magic wrapping around his body and hoisting him into the air. ¡°I¡¯ll be handing you over to them as well, of course. I understand that King T¡¯Chaka has taken your escape from their land as a personal offense, and I need all the bargaining chips I can get.¡±

    Klaue¡¯s eyes had shrunk to pinpoints as he glanced around, realising that he was trapped and had absolutely no way of escaping from me. ¡°You really want to go to Wakanda? They won¡¯t be grateful to you¡ªthey¡¯re savages,¡± he spat, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. ¡°To them, you¡¯ll be just an outsider. You¡¯re crazy to think that you could walk in there.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see, won¡¯t we?¡± I said, stepping forward, one hand wrapping around the pendant containing the Mind Stone while the other reached out toward Klaue¡¯s temple. Chaos magic played over my fingertips before slipping into his mind, my control focused and sharpened by the stone. ¡°You¡¯ll take us there yourself, in fact.¡±

 Chapter 9

    I drummed my fingers on my knee, my leg bouncing up and down nervously as we finally drew closer to the Wakandan border. I¡¯d been able to open a portal large enough to get the jeep through, but Google Maps only got us so far before we had to spend almost a full day driving the old-fashioned way. It had been a little bit of a stressful trip.

    Every so often, I absently sent wisps of red energy creeping into the back seat to where Ulysses Klaue lay, bound hand and foot. I¡¯d originally thought to make him drive us, but had just not felt comfortable controlling someone for that long. Much easier to knock him out and check in every so often to make sure he stayed unconscious. Though we were driving toward his imminent doom, I envied his stress-free, blissful ignorance as he snored peacefully.

    The literal pile of vibranium filling the back of the jeep wasn¡¯t helping my nerves¡ªwe¡¯d secured the canisters tightly so that they wouldn¡¯t move around or jostle each other, but I knew that the metal ore could be dangerous to transport in its raw form. I¡¯d warned Pietro and he was driving as carefully as he could, given we¡¯d had to go off-road to get to Wakanda, but every single bump and dip still made me wince. Luckily, the grassy plain we were currently driving across was relatively flat.

    Of course, all that was mostly just a welcome distraction from the real source of my anxiety: our upcoming approach to Wakanda. I¡¯d filled Pietro in on most of the details as we drove¡ªthe Black Panther and the Heart-Shaped Herb, the Dora Milaje, Prince N¡¯Jobu¡¯s death at the hands of his brother, Killmonger, and what details I could remember about Wakandan technology. All the while, I¡¯d stressed myself out worrying about how receptive they were going to be to our approach. In the original timeline, Killmonger had given them Klaue¡¯s dead body and that was enough to secure a meeting with the king (in handcuffs, but still), but that had been after also showing proof of his heritage as a Wakandan.

    I hoped that bringing in the arms dealer alive, in addition to returning literally billions of dollars¡¯ worth of vibranium, would even out the difference but Klaue was fundamentally right: we were outsiders, and Wakanda was incredibly insular and xenophobic right now. All I could do was get to King T¡¯Chaka and inform him of Killmonger¡¯s existence and plot against the throne. Hopefully that, on top of everything else, would be enough to persuade them to tolerate our presence for a while and grant us access to some of their resources.

    Since escaping with the sceptre, it felt like every attempt I¡¯d made at making headway toward my goals had ended up backfiring. Things were pretty much irreparably fucked up with Kamar-taj, and our first meeting with the Avengers didn¡¯t exactly endear us to them¡ªI really, really needed a win here.

    Before long, dozens of grass huts appeared on the horizon: a border village I didn¡¯t know the name of. As we drew closer, I saw the blue and red patterned cloaks of the Border Tribe¡¯s warriors as a dozen came together, with more Wakandans stopping what they were doing to watch from afar. Pietro eased off on the gas as several warriors on horseback made to intercept us¡ªthey signalled for us to stop and we complied, but they remained at a distance. Several cloaked men approached on foot, and I recognised W¡¯Kabi, the Border Tribe¡¯s head of security, at the front.

    Not for the first time, I mused briefly on the nature of this universe and my presence in it. In Kathmandu, Mordo had approached us in the street, presumably after overhearing us, mirroring the way that Stephen Strange found Kamar-taj in the original timeline. Now we were arriving at Wakanda, and what were the odds that W¡¯Kabi would be present for our arrival, much as he would have been for Killmonger¡¯s? In both instances it made narrative sense, but when examined in reality felt far too contrived to just be coincidence. It wasn¡¯t anything that I could draw meaningful inferences from, but it still sat uncomfortably with me.

    As W¡¯Kabi walked toward us, I flicked my fingers toward the back seat, sending a small jolt of chaos magic to wake our passenger as I opened the door and stepped out. In response, several of the warriors immediately flicked back their cloaks to draw curved, sickle-like swords. Under his own cloak, W¡¯Kabi raised a hand and they settled slightly¡ªstill alert and ready for danger, but not immediately attacking. Behind me, I heard Pietro get out of the jeep and start to wrangle Klaue out.

    ¡°Leave, outsiders. You are not welcome here.¡± W¡¯Kabi said, his voice neutral.

    I bowed my head slightly, deciding that a formal approach was probably best. ¡°Peace, W¡¯Kabi of the Border Tribe. We come with gifts for King T¡¯Chaka,¡± I said, pleased to see the warrior¡¯s eyes widen a fraction at the use of his name. Next to me, Pietro pushed Klaue out, who stumbled and sprawled out on the ground in front of us, hands still bound, muttering curses under his breath. ¡°Ulysses Klaue, the thief who stole from your people. In the back of the jeep is the vibranium he took. We wish to return it to its rightful owners, and hope that you will allow us to speak to King T¡¯Chaka personally, to pay our respects.¡±

    There was a pause as he processed this, then he turned slightly, tilting his head to the warriors to his left. One stepped forward and grabbed Klaue by the hair, pulling his head to the side and showing the Wakandan thief brand that decorated his neck. Two others circled around us cautiously, heading for our vehicle. I stood quietly, matching W¡¯Kabi¡¯s measured gaze. There was a clunk as they opened the rear door, then one called out something in Wakandan.

    W¡¯Kabi¡¯s forehead crinkled slightly, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Friends, I hope,¡± I said, shooting him a hopeful smile.

    ¡°Stay here,¡± he commanded, then turned around and walked several paces away, bringing his hand up in front of him. Our view was blocked by his body, but a few moments later he started speaking in Wakandan, his voice low. I looked at Pietro meaningfully and touched my wrist with one hand. The Wakandan was using his Kimoyo beads, the seemingly?mundane beaded bracelets they used essentially as smartphones. After a few minutes, W¡¯Kabi turned back toward me. ¡°You will come with us.¡±

    Our hands were cuffed behind our backs, thin vibranium bands around our wrists. I wasn¡¯t too worried about them¡ªI could still access my powers like this, though it was a little trickier, but I also knew that Wanda¡¯s magic was strong enough to bend or break vibranium, and Pietro with his feet under him was still a threat even with his hands bound.

    However, then they approached with black hoods to put over our heads and I went still, feeling a familiar sense of panic starting to rise up in my chest. I took deep breaths, telling myself over and over again that a bit of discomfort would be worth it in the long run. Pietro balked slightly as well, but I nodded at him, trying to look confident, before letting my own head be covered. If anything, the precautions they were taking should have been a relief. It looked like my assumptions had been correct and we were being taken to see the king.

    There was a bit of an awkward blind walk, where I was guided only by a hand grabbing my arm and pulling me in the correct direction, followed by a short wait before I heard the engine of a vehicle arrive, and then we were carefully helped on board where we sat and waited while we were transported to our destination.

    About an hour later, we were being led into a building of some kind, and made to wait for a few minutes before being taken through to a second room. The hood was pulled roughly from my head and I blinked in the sudden light. Pietro was next to me, W¡¯Kabi turning to him next and uncovering his head as well. I didn¡¯t recognise the room we were in¡ªa sleek chamber with a vaulted ceiling, black, irregular floor tiles edged in blue, and one wall that was artfully polished and highlighted natural rock, rather than built. There were two Border Tribe guards flanking the closed door behind us where we had entered from, and ahead of us was a short flight of stairs that led up to a path that wound around the edge of the room, another door at the top.

    A moment later, that door opened and a trio of bald women entered, clad in red and gold and holding wicked-looking vibranium spears: the Dora Milaje, the all-female Wakanda special forces. The one in the lead was instantly recognisable.

    I smiled and dipped my head to Okoye as she approached. She scowled back. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°My name is Wanda; this is my brother Pietro,¡± I said, tilting my head toward him.

    ¡°You brought us Ulysses Klaue,¡± she said. It was a simple statement, but I could hear annoyance behind it. ¡°And much of the vibranium he stole. Where is the rest?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We brought all that he still had with him. If there was more, he must have sold it already.¡±

    ¡°Where did you find him?¡±

    ¡°His operation was based in a salvage yard, on the southeast coast, near Richards Bay.¡±

    ¡°You expect me to believe that the two of you brought down his entire operation by yourselves?¡± Okoye looked back and forth between the two of us. ¡°Who are you working for?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not working for anyone,¡± I said. This was less friendly than I¡¯d hoped it would be. ¡°We¡¯re more capable than we look.¡±

    ¡°Why did you bring Klaue here?¡±

    ¡°Because I knew he had escaped justice and stolen from your people.¡±

    ¡°That is not the concern of outsiders,¡± she growled, brow furrowed as she leaned in close, eyes searching my face. ¡°You returned the vibranium, knowing what it was.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded. ¡°It belongs to Wakanda. We wanted to return it.¡±

    Okoye stepped back, looking at W¡¯Kabi, as she considered my statement for a moment. ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°You will be compensated for your effort, and then you will be returned to the border. You will leave, and you will not return.¡±

    I shook my head with a bit more insistence. ¡°Please, we need to speak to King T¡¯Chaka first.¡±

    ¡°The king has no time for outsiders,¡± she snapped back, gesturing to the Border Tribe guards. They moved forward, taking us by the arms, and I tried to pull away.

    ¡°Please,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s important. We have information he will want to know.¡±

    Okoye paused, halting the guards with another hand signal. ¡°If you have information, then speak it. I will relay anything worth knowing.¡±

    I made a face. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ sensitive. The king needs to hear it directly, he won¡¯t want anyone else to know before he does.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea who you are speaking to?¡± she scoffed.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°Okoye, General of the Dora Milaje and head of Wakanda¡¯s armed forces,¡± I exhaled through my nose, a little bit of anger rising in my chest. ¡°Sorry, I do know who you are and I understand your caution, but really, honestly, the king will want to hear me out when he listens to what I have to say.¡±

    She regarded me levelly for a moment. ¡°If this information is as important as you claim and yet you will not speak now, perhaps a few days in the cells will loosen your tongue.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± I blurted out in disbelief, pulse quickening at the thought of being trapped in a cell again. ¡°Is this really how you¡¯re treating us? We bring you Klaue and the vibranium he stole, willingly surrender ourselves into your custody so we could be taken to speak to your king, and now you¡¯re threatening to lock us up?¡± I was willing to be led here in handcuffs, I was willing to be blindfolded, I was willing to be interrogated even, but I was drawing a hard line at being imprisoned.

    ¡°I do not care that you brought Klaue. You are outsiders,¡± she said dismissively. ¡°You think you can walk into our home and demand the right to speak to our king?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s to do with his brother¡¯s disappearance,¡± I said, a slight amount of desperation leaking into my tone.

    That got a reaction. Okoye tilted her head sharply, eyes widening. ¡°You have information regarding Prince N¡¯Jobu?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please. It¡¯s for King T¡¯Chaka¡¯s ears only.¡±

    She regarded me for a few long moments, then shook her head and took a step forward threateningly. ¡°You will tell me what you know. Now.¡±

    I stared back at her, a heavy weight settling in my stomach as my mind raced to find a solution here. I¡¯d miscalculated and overcommitted. I could tell her about Killmonger, but without also telling her that T¡¯Chaka killed his own brother his motivation for revenge wouldn¡¯t make any sense, and she had zero reason to believe me on that. The information might filter its way up, but we¡¯d be long gone by then, and Okoye might even decide to lock us up for accusing the king of murder.

    If I didn¡¯t tell her, though, it seemed like she would have zero hesitation in following through with her earlier threat and just locking us up until we chose to talk. I noticed I was starting to breathe more heavily, and tried to calm myself before I started to hyperventilate. I couldn¡¯t let myself be locked up again. I just¡­ the thought of it was enough to start my heart pounding in my chest. I¡¯d fucked this up and backed myself into a corner. I needed a way out. I had to do something.

    ¡°Are you really this stubborn?¡± I asked, my voice oddly calm in my ears. ¡°Or are you just pissed off because we got Klaue while the Dora Milaje have been chasing their tails for years?¡±

    A spear was suddenly at my throat¡ªnot touching, but definitely threatening. ¡°Choose your words more carefully,¡± Okoye hissed angrily.

    I locked eyes with her. ¡°You alone, then,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Send everyone else away, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    Deafening silence stretched out between us, several seconds passing as neither of us backed down. Eventually, Okoye nodded slowly. Lowering her spear, she turned to W¡¯Kabi and said a few terse words in Wakandan. Glancing at Pietro out of the corner of my eye, I nodded fractionally. He looked unsure, but didn¡¯t make a fuss when W¡¯Kabi grabbed his arm and led him from the room. The other Border Tribe guards and Dora Milaje filtered out, the door closing behind them and leaving Okoye and I alone.

    ¡°I really wish you¡¯d made this easier,¡± I said with a sigh. She scoffed in response, but I was already focusing on reaching out for my power.

    My body jerked slightly as I astrally projected out of it. She couldn¡¯t see my astral form, of course, so she was essentially defenceless as I interposed myself between her and my body. I reached back toward myself with one hand, placing my palm over the Mind Stone, channelling its power through me and letting it flow up to where my other hand hovered near her temple, wisps of chaos magic spearing from my fingers. Her eyes flashed red and she froze, her body unresponsive as I took control.

    From the lightest touch of her mind, I could easily confirm that Okoye had been deadly serious about locking us up, so I thought at the very least I¡¯d made the right call here. However, I was now at a crossroads. I could remain controlling Okoye long enough to get her to send us away, and walk away from this whole mess with nothing, or¡­ I could try to press on and use my control over Okoye to arrange the meeting with T¡¯Chaka. This didn¡¯t have to have all been for nothing.

    Okoye was suspicious by nature, and would do anything to defend her king. If T¡¯Chaka thought that she¡¯d vetted me and had agreed to let me meet with him, that would hopefully add some extra weight to my words, and he was friendlier and less paranoid than she was. I could still go with my original plan and get a good outcome or, at the very least, have tried my best. If T¡¯Chaka wasn¡¯t willing to help us, we could still just get dropped off at the border none the worse for wear.

    I opened up more of a channel between us, drawing deeply on the Mind Stone. I didn¡¯t want to seize complete control her¡­ I really, really wasn¡¯t comfortable literally enslaving someone. Besides, I was still holding out hope that Wakanda could be our base of operations moving forward, and it would be far too risky to try to maintain control the entire time we wanted to work with them.

    Instead, I opted for subtlety. With a light touch, I started to tweak and massage her thoughts and memories, just enough to insert an impression¡ªa decision. All I needed was for her to resolve that I should be taken before King T¡¯Chaka. That what I had to say to him was important and meaningful enough that he would want to hear it from me.

    A handful of seconds crawled by as I worked. My magic was being backed up by the power of the Mind Stone, but I¡¯d still never done anything quite like this before. I wanted to make sure she wouldn¡¯t realise she had been manipulated, and I didn¡¯t want to do any damage while I was poking around in her head, either.

    Finally done, I withdrew, my astral form sinking back into my body as Okoye blinked, her own senses returning to her. ¡°Okoye,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Please, let me speak to King T¡¯Chaka.¡±

    My voice seemed to snap her back into the present and she stared at me for a few seconds before she nodded. ¡°Fine,¡± she ground out. ¡°You will be taken before the king. Do not take this gift for granted.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I won¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°I promise.¡±

    Okoye raised her voice, calling out loudly in Wakandan, and a moment later the door swung open again. As I was reunited with Pietro, the leader of the Dora Milaje had a quick back-and-forth conversation with W¡¯Kabi, who looked over at us once or twice, his expression dubious. Eventually he nodded, then came over to us as Okoye and the two other Dora Milaje filed back out of the room. We were led through to another room, where we were sat down and forced to wait another hour before W¡¯Kabi finally returned.

    The throne room was impressive¡ªa massive room with high vaulted ceilings, steps on either side of the door we entered through leading up to balcony galleries, each with four Dora Milaje standing guard in front of them. Most of the room¡¯s floor was tempered glass with visible exposed metal supports, resting above a rough base of artistically cracked and weathered red rock. The rock jutted upwards in the centre, creating an island-like platform in the middle of the room upon which sat the throne and six other, smaller seats clustered around it. Behind the throne was a floor-to-ceiling set of windows looking out onto the city, flanked by a pair of black marble panther statues.

    King T¡¯Chaka sat on his throne, clad in blue formal attire with silver embroidery, the two rounded spikes on the back of the throne framing his figure. Okoye and T¡¯Challa¡ªhis son, the Black Panther¡ªstood beside him. Queen Ramonda sat to his right, and four of the other smaller chairs were similarly occupied by colourfully-attired advisors.

    The two other Border Tribe guards moved to flank the door behind us as we approached the central dais. W¡¯Kabi released my arm and stepped stiffly to one side. Okoye stared at me steadily, her mouth curved in a slight frown, and the rest of the gathered officials looked at us with casual curiosity. I bowed deeply, kicking Pietro in the ankle when he didn¡¯t immediately follow suit.

    Once we straightened up, T¡¯Chaka spoke a single word in Wakandan: ¡°Thetha.¡±

    W¡¯Kabi looked from his king to me and translated. ¡°Speak.¡±

    I cleared my throat quietly, then spoke the lines I¡¯d been rehearsing in my head for the past half an hour. ¡°Great King T¡¯Chaka, thank you for allowing us the honour of an audience. I hope that our gifts to you have been received in the spirit with which they were given.¡±

    One of the advisors, a man in a green suit with an absolutely massive lip plate and ear stretchers, spoke rapidly in Wakandan. Behind him, Queen Ramonda chimed in with a few words of her own, then T¡¯Chaka nodded and spoke in plain English, smiling warmly at me. ¡°Your gifts are well received. Klaue has evaded justice for too long, and while not all of the vibranium has been recovered, what you have been able to return to us is accepted gratefully.¡±

    I smiled back, the tension in my chest and shoulders starting to loosen. T¡¯Chaka was a reasonable man, I reminded myself. He had never gotten too much screen time, but I¡¯d always gotten the impression that he was affable enough once you got past the layers of ablative security. ¡°As General Okoye has likely already told you, there is another matter I must speak to you of.¡±

    ¡°I am told you have information regarding Prince N¡¯Jobu¡¯s disappearance.¡± A slight hardness settled in his eyes.

    ¡°There are things I dare not speak of openly, even before trusted ears such as these. I trust that, in your great wisdom, King T¡¯Chaka, you understand the truth in these words.¡± Unsure of what else to do to, I waggled my eyebrows at him a bit. It was almost comical, and made it incredibly obvious to everyone in the room that there was some hidden meaning I was trying to convey, but I really wanted to make sure he understood what I was talking about.

    That sparked off a round of heated argument and debate in Wakandan, all of the present advisors and queen weighing in with their own opinions. King T¡¯Chaka spoke only once, in response to a specific comment aired by an older woman in black and gold. After a minute of more back and forth, the king held up a hand and everyone else instantly fell silent. When he spoke again, there was an edge to his voice that wasn¡¯t there before. ¡°I believe I understand. Speak, but only what you can without causing offense. I will decide if anything requires further explanation.¡±

    Oh, good. This was going to be awkward and difficult. ¡°Your brother¡¯s son¡ªyour nephew,¡± I started, and there were a few scoffs and exclamations in Wakandan from the advisors in response. ¡°I don¡¯t know his Wakandan name, but his American name is Erik Stevens. He knows what happened to his father and has chosen to place the blame at your feet.¡± T¡¯Challa was staring at me with unnerving intensity, his brows slightly raised in surprise.

    T¡¯Chaka sagged a bit in his throne. He looked¡­ sad. Defeated. ¡°Go on,¡± he said softly.

    ¡°He has dedicated his life to revenge and seeks to follow in a traitor¡¯s footsteps. He joined the US military and became an elite black ops agent. They call him the Killmonger. He is coming to Wakanda to challenge you for the throne, so he can use your technology to conquer the world and remake it in the image he prefers.¡±

    Another round of exclamations, but this time Queen Ramonda shot to her feet. ¡°What are these lies?¡± she spat, in English. ¡°You dare to sully the memory of Prince N¡¯Jobu with this slander?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Your War Dogs should be able to confirm a lot of the details.¡± I shot King T¡¯Chaka a helpless look. ¡°Killmonger shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. He¡¯s smart, strong, and extremely dangerous.¡±

    The king stood and slowly walked toward me, until we were only a few feet apart, and looked me in the eyes for a moment. I tried very hard not to flinch away from his gaze. ¡°Why are you here?¡± he asked quietly. ¡°You bring us Klaue, return our vibranium, and now¡ªif what you say is true¡ªinform us of a dangerous threat. You are an outsider. Why have you done these things?¡±

    I steeled myself, inwardly offering up a prayer to whatever gods might happen to be listening. It was now or never. ¡°My brother and I are seeking sanctuary. We have¡­ enemies who are looking for us. We were hoping that Wakanda could be a place of safety for us.¡±

    T¡¯Chaka tilted his head curiously. The River Tribe Elder scoffed again, saying something dismissive-sounding in Wakandan, but quieted at a look from his king.

    ¡°King T¡¯Chaka¡­ please. My brother and I have nothing and no one. We are alone.¡±

    I could practically see it¡ªthe exact instant he decided to help us. His eyes softened, and he started to nod his head. Which made it all the more devastating when a side door to the chamber burst open and a skinny teenage girl rushed in.

    ¡°Father! Get away from that woman!¡± Shuri practically shouted as she crossed the floor toward us.

    The king backed up a step instinctively at his daughter¡¯s words. ¡°Shuri? What is the meaning of this?¡± As he did, W¡¯Kabi flicked his cloak back, keeping a hand hovering above the sword at his waist. Okoye had stepped forward as well, moving to interpose herself between the king and I, and two more of the Dora Milaje quickly relocated from their posts at the sides of the room to flank us.

    Instead of speaking, Shuri just held out her hand in front of her father, a Kimoyo bead in her palm. A holographic projection appeared above it, a hexagonal screen showing the view from a security camera that I must have missed seeing in the chamber where Okoye had initially questioned us. I watched in mounting horror as the image of Okoye sent the guards away so I could speak to her. Moments later, a bridge of visible red chaos magic flowed between the two of us, linking the pendant at my neck to her head, and she stood unmoving for a handful of seconds before the energy faded. I spoke, and then Okoye nodded, agreeing to my request.

    King T''Chaka looked back up at me from the recording, his face like thunder. ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡±

 Chapter 10

    I had no idea what to do or say. It was happening again. Exactly like Kamar-taj. ¡°I¡­ please,¡± I started, my breath hitching in my throat. ¡°I can explain.¡±

    ¡°Be silent!¡± Okoye snapped, levelling her spear at me.

    I looked past her to King T¡¯Chaka, my expression pleading. Frowning back at me, he glanced down at the final frozen image projected by Shuri¡¯s Kimoyo bead. ¡°Explain then. What was that? What did you do?¡± he asked, his voice terse.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Okoye was being¡­ stubborn, and I didn¡¯t think I was going to be able to speak to you. I changed her mind.¡± I looked at King T¡¯Chaka and sighed heavily, my shoulders slumping. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to excuse it, it was a violation of a trust we hadn¡¯t even earned yet. I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯ll just leave.¡±

    ¡°You are not going anywhere,¡± Okoye spat, the tip of her spear now sitting just above my collarbone¡ªI could feel the sharpness of it against my skin. Just a little pressure and it would bite into my neck.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t make me make this worse,¡± I pleaded, looking at her with a pained expression. ¡°We can just leave.¡±

    T¡¯Chaka shook his head. ¡°You will wait in a cell until I decide what is to be done with you,¡± he said firmly. Behind him, there was a chorus of approval and agreement from his advisors.

    I could feel my chest constricting, magical energy bubbling up in response to my emotions as my heart thundered in my ears. I felt like I was about to throw up. We were going to have to fight our way out of here. They were leaving me with no other choice. W¡¯Kabi grabbed my arm roughly, pulling me back, and I let my power explode outwards in response, a sudden wave of red chaos magic sending people tumbling like bowling pins.

    W¡¯Kabi and Okoye caught the worst of it, the former losing his grip on me as he was flung across the room to land painfully on the stairs leading up to one of the galleries. The latter had her spear snap back, the metal haft hitting her hard in the face as she was blown back into another of the Dora Milaje, the two of them going down in a tangle of limbs. I turned to see that Pietro had reacted immediately¡ªlikely predicting what I was going to do. He¡¯d darted back a dozen feet to get out of the blast radius, slamming his shoulder into the stomach of one of the door guards in the process.

    His hands still bound behind his back, he blurred and took down the second guard with another full-body rush, then turned and shot me a ¡®what the hell are you waiting for¡¯ look. I gathered power in my hands and focused on the thin vibranium bands at his wrists, sending a spike of chaos magic spearing into them. The mechanism buckled, resisting for only a moment before it was wrenched apart.

    ¡°Wanda!¡± he yelled in alarm, then blurred toward and past me faster than I could track. I turned just in time to see him land a nasty-looking right hook on T¡¯Challa¡¯s jaw, sending him staggering backwards. The Black Panther had lunged toward me while my back was turned, taking advantage of my distraction, but hadn¡¯t been expecting Pietro¡¯s speed.

    Pietro paused for a moment, a half-dozen Dora Milaje closing in a circle around us as the Wakandan advisors scattered and fled. The Dora Milaje are formidable warriors¡ªhighly trained, strong, fast, and skilled. But, in the end, they were only mundane humans. As far as Pietro was concerned, they might as well have been standing still.

    Calling more magic to my hands, I sent it up my wrists to my own cuffs. It was a bit trickier to manage this sort of thing when I wasn¡¯t able to see what I was doing, but I took a few moments to visualise it properly while Pietro dismantled the royal guards. I managed to free myself just as one of the doors on the galleries opened and another group of Dora Milaje stormed in.

    One of the women immediately hefted her spear and threw it overhand at me. I flung out a hand and stopped it dead, leaving it hanging in the air a foot away from me. With my other hand, I swept tendrils of magic toward the charging warriors and wrapped it around their weapons as well, telekinetically twisting and yanking them away so that I had an arsenal of six spears hanging above my head, dripping wisps of red magic. To their credit, they barely faltered, continuing their doomed advance. A blur shot past me and Pietro was suddenly among them, laying them out left and right.

    I turned back toward the throne in time to see that T¡¯Challa had pulled himself to his feet. ¡°Stop,¡± I told him. ¡°Stand down, I don¡¯t want to fight you.¡±

    He ignored me and lunged again, leaping at least a dozen feet through the air toward me, hands outstretched like claws. I felt a flash of anger as I flicked a hand toward him, telekinetic energy wrapping around one of his wrists. He was yanked backwards mid-jump, dangling in the air for a moment before I swiped my hand to the side and sent him crashing back into one of the panther statues that framed the bay windows.

    King T¡¯Chaka stood behind his throne¡ªhe hadn¡¯t fled or attacked but was standing in a loose stance, ready to fight if he had to. ¡°This isn¡¯t what I wanted,¡± I said bitterly to him. ¡°We came here to make allies, not more enemies.¡±

    ¡°Then you have failed.¡± His tone was hard, with a sense of finality to it.

    Okoye was finally staggering back to her feet, bleeding from a nasty-looking cut through a long bruise that was already forming down the front of her face. Behind her, T¡¯Challa was recovering from his close encounter with the statue, eyeing me warily as he pulled himself up. I looked between the two of them and shook my head. ¡°This is over. You can¡¯t beat us. Just stop. We¡¯ll leave. You¡¯ll never have to see us again.¡±

    ¡°You think you can come here¡ªour home¡ªlie to us, assault our king, and then just walk away?!¡± Okoye snarled at me.

    At a gesture, four of the vibranium spears floating above me shot forward, each slamming into the exposed rock in front of the throne, their razor-sharp tips biting several inches deep. Clenching a shaking fist, I pulled forward and the spears cut through the floor, tearing long gouge marks in the red stone so that it looked almost as though it had been clawed at by the paw of a massive beast. ¡°I want to make this very clear,¡± I said, my tone deadly quiet as my two remaining spears floated forward slightly to level themselves at Okoye and T¡¯Challa. ¡°We came here to help you. You threatened us. You attacked us.¡±

    I flicked my hand to the side and the spear in front of Okoye suddenly streaked away to bury itself a full foot into the wall, an inch in front of Shuri¡¯s face¡ªthe teenager had been creeping along the outskirts of the room toward the door. She shrieked and fell backwards, eyes wide.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone here,¡± I said. ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty obvious what I could do if I wanted to. But I don¡¯t. I just want to leave.¡±

    King T¡¯Chaka closed his eyes for a moment, exhaling sharply before he spoke. ¡°Then leave.¡± He looked over at Okoye and said something in Wakandan. She turned to look at him, surprise and anger warring on her features. She stared for a moment, then gave a single sharp nod of acknowledgement. Raising her voice, she said something else in the same language. I turned to look and the few royal guards who had managed to make it back to their feet paused, lowering their heads and weapons. Pietro blurred to a stop next to me, looking around the room cautiously to make sure that all of them had actually stopped. He was breathing heavily; not quite out of breath, but it was still actually kind of impressive that the Dora Milaje had pushed him that hard.

    Looking back at the king, I nodded my head slowly and took a deep breath myself, trying to release the ball of anger that had built up in my chest. ¡°Thank you.¡± At a gesture, the spears I¡¯d been using¡ªless the one that had been flung near Shuri¡ªgathered themselves into a bundle and resumed floating in the air near my head. ¡°I¡¯m taking these,¡± I said abruptly, turning on my heel and stalking toward the main door.

    It was childish and petulant, and when it came right down to it a set of five vibranium spears weren¡¯t that useful to me, but it felt better than walking away, again, with basically nothing except a slap in the face. In fact¡­ no. This time I wasn¡¯t going to walk away with nothing. I¡¯d already burnt my bridges with Wakanda, it seemed, so pushing things a little further would hardly make a difference at this point. We¡¯d be making one small stop before we left the country.

    Pietro fell into step beside me, head still on a swivel as he kept looking alertly around for any sign of danger. As we reached the door, I took one last look back at the occupants of the room. Every single one had their eyes fixed on me. The anger radiating from them was almost palpable. I wanted to apologise again, but I knew it wouldn¡¯t matter. ¡®Sorry¡¯ just wasn¡¯t going to cut it here, and I was still feeling pretty pissed myself so I wasn¡¯t sure any apology I could make would even sound sincere. Instead, I just turned away and walked back out into the corridor.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Pietro asked.

    I didn¡¯t answer, focusing my mind on the destination I had decided on. I¡¯d seen Black Panther four or five times in my past life¡ªI¡¯d liked the movie a lot¡ªand I felt like I could do a pretty good job of visualising the place I wanted to go, but I had no idea if that was good enough or if this was going to work. I knew that I didn¡¯t need to have visited a place to open a portal there, and I knew that sling rings had some sort of conceptual element that let them open portals to people without knowing exactly where, but I hadn¡¯t actually tried to open a portal based purely on my pre-Wanda knowledge before.

    As I visualised the space as best I could, I exhaled slowly and started to gesture with the sling ring. It took a moment or two longer than normal, but after a handful of seconds red threads of magic came together, a portal sparking into existence. I allowed myself a small smile of satisfaction and gestured for Pietro to go through.

    He shook his head. ¡°So you can get bonked on the head again? No, you first.¡±

    Despite my mood, a small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth and I acquiesced, sending the vibranium spears through the portal first and following close behind them. Pietro was through a moment later, and I dismissed the portal with a wave of my hand.

    The rich, earthly smell of the chamber we¡¯d appeared in filled my nostrils. We were standing in a circle of loose red sand in the centre of the chamber, ancient stone walls and ceiling above us, a nearby spiral staircase of hewn rock leading up to the surface. Tree roots spread from cracks in the stone, and the place was lit with burning torches and braziers. All around us, plants with glowing purple flowers flourished in well-tended garden beds. This was the Wakandan City of the Dead¡ªthe sacred garden where the Heart-Shaped Herb was grown.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    A half-dozen attendants, women in rough but elaborately patterned robes, gaped at our arrival. I spread my hands, summoning a deliberately intimidating display of red energy over me as I brandished the vibranium spears. A few shrieked and fled in fear, some cowered and hid, but one straightened up, looking at me with steel in her eyes even as her hands trembled. She said something in Wakandan and I shook my head, ignoring her.

    Instead, I stepped toward the nearest garden bed, my eyes roving over the glowing plants within. Some seemed in different stages of growth, but there were a few where the cup-like flower had opened enough that I could see a purple-petalled bulb within. As I reached down toward one, the defiant attendant snapped something and took a step toward me, but immediately froze again as my orbiting vibranium spears relocated to the space between us, threatening her more directly.

    The interruption dealt with, I carefully reached into the flower and felt around the base of the bulb with my fingertips. It only took a slight twist and bit of pressure for it to come loose¡ªless effort than picking an apple from a tree. Withdrawing my hand, I cradled my prize, looking at it closely: tight petals, like a partially-opened rose, wrapped around a central bulb that glowed with a rich, purple light.

    I gently closed my hand around it, then turned back toward Pietro. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    --

    ¡°Finally,¡± Baron Wolfgang von Strucker said quietly as he sat in his cell, a slight smile playing across his lips as he listened to the muffled sounds of gunfire and shouting. Standing up as the noises drew closer, he dusted off his clothes and folded his hands behind his back, watching the cell door and waiting patiently.

    He didn¡¯t have to wait for long. The metal of his cell door screeched in protest as something smashed into the lock hard enough to dent and pop it open. Standing just beyond the open frame was a man wearing heavy black body armour with a face?concealing helmet. The only clue to the wearer¡¯s identity was the image of a skull and crossbones spraypainted in white across the helmet and chest. He¡¯d wondered who it would be that would break him out. Though they¡¯d worked together several times in the past, Brock Rumlow had honestly not been very high on his list of potential rescuers.

    The armoured man flicked his head in a ¡®come on¡¯ gesture. ¡°The way¡¯s clear. Let¡¯s move.¡± Without waiting for a response, he turned and stalked off down the hallway.

    Strucker nodded belatedly and hurried after him. Initially, he had thought maybe the twins would come for him. They¡¯d wisely retreated when the Avengers had attacked the research base but, when they failed to appear after the first week, he assumed that they must have also been captured. He had been extremely pleased when the Black Widow had come calling on him, seeking their whereabouts. With them still at large and the sceptre kept safe, the loss of the base and his temporary incarceration were minor setbacks at worst.

    Their AI research was lost, of course, but Strucker doubted that the Sokovian government had moved quickly to relocate their lab equipment and drone prototypes, so there were likely assets at the fortress that were still recoverable. While he was grateful for the rescue, he resolved to distance himself from Rumlow once he¡¯d secured some resources. The former SHIELD agent had been building a reputation for his own HYDRA cell through a series of terrorist attacks, styling himself as ¡®Crossbones¡¯, which was much too attention-grabbing and flashy for Strucker¡¯s liking.

    Still, he mused as he watched Rumlow crush an unfortunate guard¡¯s ribs with a single punch from the interesting-looking contraption reinforcing his wrist and hand, there were times when flashy wasn¡¯t a bad thing. They linked up with the rest of Rumlow¡¯s team, a group of four heavily-armed men in unmarked black fatigues, before extracting from the prison and into the nearby woods.

    Strucker had begun to relax, thinking that they¡¯d made it free and clear, when a loud, clear voice rang out. ¡°Stand down!¡±

    Melting out of the woods around them were at least a dozen soldiers, rifles levelled at their group. Strucker looked around wildly, realising that they¡¯d somehow been out-maneuvered and surrounded by a group that had them utterly outmanned and outgunned, and his stomach sank as he recognised the military fatigues and markings of a Sokovian death squad.

    Next to him, Rumlow had settled into a low, wary stance and Strucker tensed, hoping that the man wasn¡¯t stupid enough to raise a weapon or make any other foolish move. They were surrounded and caught without cover. If this turned into a firefight, he didn¡¯t rate their chances at all.

    ¡°Baron von Strucker, so nice to see you again,¡± said a familiar voice as its owner stepped out from behind a tree. The man was dressed in a black leather overcoat with a fur collar, with a textured but otherwise featureless purple mask covering his entire head save for a pair of holes for his eyes. The mask was instantly recognisable, identifying both its wearer and the soldiers: The squad was EKO Scorpion, one of the more infamously brutal and effective tools of the Sokovian regime, and the man before him was Colonel Helmut Zemo.

    ¡°Baron Zemo,¡± he said cautiously. ¡°It is, as always, a pleasure. May I ask if we are being detained?¡±

    ¡°I would not dream of it. However, there are some things we need to discuss,¡± the masked man said, gesturing widely with a hand. ¡°I hope it would not be too much of an imposition if I asked you and your men to come with us?¡±

    Strucker allowed himself a small sigh of relief. Zemo and he were peers¡ªliterally, in this instance, with both of them being of equal rank in the Sokovian aristocracy¡ªwhich meant this could have gone, and could still go, either way. Many among the Sokovian nobility would jump at any opportunity to unseat a rival, but it was also customary to close ranks when one among their number was accused of wrongdoing. Their families weren¡¯t overly entwined, but he¡¯d had relatively profitable dealings with Zemo and his father in the past, so perhaps that would be enough to sway the man.

    He looked at Rumlow, catching the man¡¯s eye, and nodded encouragingly. After a few moments of hesitation, the armoured man eased up and signalled for his men to lower their weapons with a wave of his hand. Zemo signalled his own men and they moved in¡ªnot completely unthreateningly, but with seemingly no intent to disarm or capture.

    Strucker straightened his back, lifting his chin, and strode directly up to Zemo, extending a hand in greeting. Zemo took it with no hint of hesitation, shaking it firmly. ¡°Your allies took a bit longer to liberate you than I¡¯d expected,¡± the masked man said casually as he gestured for Strucker to walk with him. ¡°I admit I was starting to get a little bit impatient.¡±

    Strucker barked out a short laugh. ¡°That makes two of us.¡± He eyed the other man with a sidelong glance. ¡°I was briefly worried that NATO was going to get its way.¡±

    Zemo gestured dismissively with a hand. ¡°NATO can bark and growl all they like. Sokovia does not answer to the likes of them.¡± He pointed ahead. ¡°The airfield isn¡¯t far¡ªwe can talk once we¡¯re in the air.¡±

    Nodding, Strucker fell silent as he trudged through the forest. Unfortunately, Zemo had been exaggerating when he¡¯d said their destination wasn¡¯t far¡ªit was 20 minutes of solid walking before they emerged from the treeline to see the small military airfield, with several jeeps and what looked to be a small private jet parked on the runway. Strucker watched with some satisfaction as the airfield¡¯s guards studiously ignored their approach.

    Zemo dropped back several paces as they continued forward. ¡°Mr Rumlow, was it? Your men will be safe with mine¡ªa larger plane will be arriving shortly for them. Sokovian nobility prefers to travel a bit more comfortably,¡± he said, gesturing to the plane as it started warming up its engines. ¡°You are most welcome to join the two of us or stay with your men, at your option. My second can brief you if you choose to stay.¡±

    The skull-painted helmet bobbed between Strucker and Zemo. ¡°I¡¯d like to know what¡¯s going on now, actually.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Zemo said, not missing a beat. ¡°You are not being detained by Sokovia and are free to go if you wish. However, we have some mutual interests¡ªthe Enhanced produced by Strucker¡¯s program. The Americans are extremely interested in them, and so are we. We¡¯d like your assistance in tracking them down.¡±

    Rumlow was thoughtfully silent for a moment. ¡°We might be able to help you with that,¡± he allowed.

    ¡°Excellent, my friend.¡± Zemo reached up with both hands and removed the purple mask. He ran his fingers through his hair, straightening his appearance before he looked back at Rumlow and tilted his head toward the jet. ¡°Will you be joining us?¡±

    The other man shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving my men.¡±

    ¡°Understandable,¡± Zemo said. ¡°As I said, my second can brief you on what we currently know.¡± Waiting at the base of the jet¡¯s steps was an elderly man, dressed in the formal attire of a butler. Zemo smiled at him as they approached. ¡°Hello, Oeznik.¡±

    ¡°Welcome, gentlemen,¡± the servant greeted them. Zemo held out his hands and they lightly embraced, kissing each other on each cheek.

    They parted ways with Rumlow and his team, with just the three of them¡ªStrucker, Zemo and his man Oeznik¡ªclimbing aboard the main cabin of the jet. The interior was well-appointed, with polished wood panelling and comfortable leather seats. Once they¡¯d settled in and were in the air, Oeznik brought them each a glass of crisp, sparkling champagne.

    Strucker let himself lean back in his chair, enjoying the feeling of freedom and a return to sorely-missed creature comforts after an unseemly couple of weeks in the less-than-stellar accommodation afforded by the Sokovian penal system. ¡°So, you are looking for the twins and you¡¯d like my help?¡±

    Zemo nodded and shrugged. ¡°The official line is that you escaped¡ªwe have the footage and casualties to prove it. Unofficially¡­ well. I find unofficial assets have much more breadth of flexibility.¡±

    ¡°And deniability,¡± Strucker said evenly.

    Zemo leaned forward to toast, clinking their glasses together with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand our position.¡±

    Strucker took a sip of his champagne, savouring the taste for a few moments. ¡°Where are we going?¡± he asked, tipping his head toward the clouds outside of the window.

    ¡°New Delhi. There was an altercation between your Enhanced and the Avengers in the city less than 24 hours ago.¡±

    Strucker looked thoughtful. ¡°New Delhi? What were they doing there?¡±

    ¡°I was hoping you could tell me.¡±

    ¡°No reason I can think of,¡± Strucker said, tapping his glass absently as he thought. ¡°There are no HYDRA assets they would be aware of there. They fought the Avengers?¡± His assessment had been that they weren¡¯t ready for a stand-up fight with the American group. The weaker ones would, of course, have stood no chance, but the likes of Thor and the Hulk were extremely difficult problems to work around.

    ¡°My sources indicate that the Maximoffs retreated, though not before inflicting some damage.¡± Zemo sipped at his drink. ¡°I¡¯d like to discuss strategy and resources. You know these Enhanced better than anyone alive¡ªwhat will we need in order to bring them in?¡±

    Strucker half-smiled at the question. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. Wanda and Pietro were some of our most dedicated volunteers. If we can locate them and get in contact, I can bring them on board easily enough.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I have every confidence in your ability to bring them in. However, I prefer to be prepared for every eventuality. Should they prove¡­ uncooperative, I would like to understand how best to counter their abilities,¡± the other man said smoothly, running the tip of a gloved finger along the rim of his glass.

    Understanding dawned on Strucker¡¯s face. ¡°You don¡¯t want to recruit them,¡± he said slowly. ¡°You want to dissect them.¡±

    Zemo didn¡¯t respond, simply watching his reaction. After a moment, Strucker shrugged and nodded. He¡¯d invested a lot of time and resources in developing the twins, but when it came down to it, he cared little for their wellbeing. While it would be annoying to start from scratch, he would be satisfied so long as he got his hands on Loki¡¯s sceptre.

    ¡°Wanda¡¯s powers are strong and flexible but, if you catch her off-guard, she¡¯s no tougher or more durable than you or I. A well-placed sniper should be able to take her down with one shot¡ªa tranquiliser round if you want her alive, or a bullet if not.¡± Strucker said, looking thoughtful. ¡°The brother is trickier. He needs to concentrate to regulate his speed properly, so area denial weapons that disorient and stun are most effective. Flashbangs, sonic cannons, things along those lines.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. I knew that you would be happy to help your country,¡± said Zemo. He held up a hand, calling his manservant back over to refill their glasses. ¡°Let us toast, my friend, to what I hope will be a long and fruitful partnership.¡±

 Chapter 11

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± I murmured softly, looking up at the ethereal colours lighting up the night sky.

    ¡°Is that¡­ the Aurora Borealis?¡± asked Pietro.

    ¡°We¡¯re in Australia,¡± I said, unable to tear my eyes away from the sight. ¡°But this is¡­ we¡¯re too far north, aren¡¯t we? For the Aurora Australis? Is it even the right time of year?¡±

    ¡°You tell me.¡±

    I didn¡¯t really know what to say to that, so we stood silently for a few moments, mesmerised by the weaving greens, reds and purples. Though I was from Australia in my original life, I¡¯d never actually seen the southern lights before. It was, quite frankly, one of the most beautiful things I¡¯d ever seen.

    We were in the middle of nowhere, really. A random stretch of road in rural New South Wales, a couple of dozen kilometres outside of Dubbo. I¡¯d wanted to have a few ¡®remote¡¯ places up my sleeve to use as safe spots to portal to, so I¡¯d picked a couple at random to memorise on Google Street View. The pictures online had just been an empty length of highway surrounded by sparse bushland. I hadn¡¯t been expecting this at all. It was¡­ auspicious.

    The air was crisp and cold and I shivered, pulling my leather jacket closer around myself. It was more of a ¡®fashion¡¯ jacket than one designed to keep its wearer particularly warm, but it helped a little. Pietro looked over, seemingly less bothered by the temperature¡ªI suspected that he ran a bit hotter than a normal person thanks to his power. ¡°Cold?¡± he asked, smiling slightly when I nodded in response. ¡°Why are we here? We don¡¯t exactly have any camping gear.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t stay long. I just wanted somewhere we wouldn¡¯t be interrupted,¡± I said, gesturing with a hand to manipulate the wisps of chaos magic around me. The vibranium spears I¡¯d stolen spread out above us, rotating in the air until their points faced downward, then stabbed down into the earth in a rough circle. Sitting down in the middle of the area I¡¯d marked out, I took a deep breath to try to settle my nerves. ¡°Okay, so, I need to talk you through this,¡± I said, patting the ground beside me.

    ¡°Talk me through what?¡± Pietro asked cautiously, stepping over and sitting down where I¡¯d indicated.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take the Heart-Shaped Herb. It¡¯s going to look¡­ upsetting. I¡¯ll probably pass out while it works, I don¡¯t know how long for. I might glow purple a bit, my veins¡¯ll pop out. I might seize up a little. That sort of thing. Whatever happens, just make sure I don¡¯t hurt myself or choke on my own tongue or something.¡±

    Pietro¡¯s eyes grew wider as I described the process. ¡°Okay, yeah. That does sound upsetting. Are you sure this is safe?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± I lied.

    In actual fact, this was a little bit of a gamble. I felt like the risk of it going wrong was low enough to make it worthwhile but, when it came right down to it, I had no idea how the Heart-Shaped Herb worked. In the original timeline, I¡¯d only ever seen Wakandans take it. T¡¯Chaka. Killmonger. Shuri. M¡¯Baku and Nakia had been potential candidates as well, but that was all. It was entirely possible that there was a key bit of Wakandan genetics required that I just didn¡¯t have, and it would poison me instead of enhancing me.

    Not only that, but the Heart-Shaped Herb was originally a gift from the goddess Bast to the five tribes of Wakanda. I was pretty sure that Bast wasn¡¯t active on Earth anymore¡ªshe wasn¡¯t on the Ennead council with the other Egyptian gods that weren¡¯t currently stuck in ushabti and was spending at least some of her time hanging out several galaxies away in Omnipotence City. There was no evidence that she would notice or even care that I¡¯d stolen one of the herbs, but there was still a tiny risk that doing this would attract the wrong sort of attention from a goddess.

    He nodded slowly, then paused and tilted his head. ¡°Why¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªdid we only take one?¡± I finished his question for him. ¡°First, I don¡¯t know if you can have it safely. You¡¯re already physically enhanced, so your body might react unpredictably to it. Second, I have no idea how well they travel or store, and if we do end up deciding we want more, they¡¯re just a portal away.¡±

    He folded his arms and looked at me sceptically. ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe for me, but for you it¡¯s fine?¡±

    I waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Probably. I think. I¡¯ve already told you that what happened to us isn¡¯t the same. My power is magical: supercharged, but still just something I was born with. Yours¡­ honestly, I don¡¯t know what yours is. A physical enhancement, but I still don¡¯t know the how or why. Trying to stack physical enhancements willy-nilly is risky¡ªthat¡¯s how you get Abominations.¡±

    Pietro huffed, climbing back to his feet and starting to pace. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Wanda. I don¡¯t like this.¡± After a few seconds, he walked over to one of the spears and pulled it out of the ground, hefting it experimentally to get a feel for its balance.

    I paused, watching him carefully. I knew that Okoye¡ªa baseline human¡ªwas capable of throwing one of those spears through a car, and I suddenly had an upsettingly vivid mental image of what would happen if Pietro, moving at super speed, threw one at Iron Man. I sent a strand of chaos magic over to him, telekinetically pulling it from his grip and planting in back in the dirt where it had been. ¡°Mine,¡± I said firmly.

    Pietro pulled a face, holding up his hands in mock surrender. After a moment, he dropped them to his sides and let out a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I¡¯m the woman in charge, remember?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m twelve minutes older than you, you know,¡± he said, shooting me a flat look.

    I cupped a hand around my ear and looking at him quizzically, as though I couldn¡¯t hear him. ¡°Sorry, what was that? You¡¯re twelve? I mean, yes, you act like it most of the time.¡±

    Folding his arms, Pietro rolled his eyes and stepped slowly back over to me. ¡°Ugh. Fine. What are you waiting for, then?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ something else,¡± I said reluctantly. I was pretty sure I was better off telling him about this beforehand, just in case, but I was still worried about his reaction. ¡°The way the Wakandans tell it, when you take the Heart-Shaped Herb, your spirit leaves your body temporarily and travels to the Ancestral Plane.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­?¡± he said, a little nonplussed by my hesitance. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll be good at that, right? You do that sort of thing all the time.¡±

    I smiled despite myself, looking down and away from him, trying not to let him see my expression. ¡°The Ancestral Plane is where they believe you go when you die. You see important people from your past. Dead people.¡±

    Pietro froze. He was quiet for a few moments before he spoke again, his voice subdued. ¡°You think you¡¯ll see our parents.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, shaking my head. There was also a distinct possibility that I¡¯d see people from my old life, and I had absolutely no idea if that would be weird or comforting. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s real. It might just be hallucinations. They usually do a big spiritual ceremony and symbolically bury you in the ground when you take it, so it might just be that the herb sends you on a trip, your mind is primed to see those things, and so it does.¡±

    ¡°Or you might see our parents,¡± he repeated quietly.

    ¡°Or I might see our parents.¡± I honestly had no idea. I really hoped I wouldn¡¯t, but I couldn¡¯t tell Pietro that. Would they know I wasn¡¯t actually Wanda? If they didn¡¯t¡­ it was hard enough lying to Pietro, could I lie to them, too? A pair of loving parents, given a second chance to see their daughter again after they had died? ¡°Is there anything you want me to say if I do?¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Pietro¡¯s shoulders sagged and he let out a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ what am I even supposed to say to that? It¡¯s been so long. Tell them we love them? Miss them? I don¡¯t know what else there is.¡± He stepped over to drop back down on the ground next to me, then lay back and looking up at the sky, tucking his hands under the back of his head.

    I looked at him a moment, the colours of the aurora reflected in his eyes, then joined him. We stayed there for a few minutes, watching the symphony of light playing out above us in silence. After a little while the cold started to get to me, so I sat back up and gestured, telekinetically retrieving a mortar and pestle I¡¯d snagged on our way out of the City of the Dead. Pietro tilted his head slightly so he could watch as I dropped the Heart-Shaped Herb into the mortar and crushed it with a few brisk motions. I looked over at him. ¡°This can work pretty quickly. I¡¯ll need your help.¡±

    Reluctantly, he sat up and took the mortar from me. I lay back down, taking a moment to shift my body from side to side a bit until I was as comfortable as I could probably get on the hard-packed earth and grass. Looking up at Pietro, I opened my mouth expectantly, like a small child waiting to be fed. The mortar had a small spout on one side and he put it between my lips, using his free hand to lift my head a bit so I didn¡¯t choke on the thick, iridescent purple liquid as he tipped it into my mouth.

    It felt weirdly like room temperature molten metal in my mouth, thick and bitterly metallic and, somehow, as I drank it, barely any seemed to even make it to my stomach. Instead, it was rapidly absorbed by the soft tissues of my mouth and throat¡ªit clung to the inside of my mouth, almost like it was alive and actively trying to find its way into my bloodstream. It wasn¡¯t enough to make me feel like I was choking, but it was still uncomfortable in a way that was difficult to describe.

    Pietro laid my head back down on the grass and watched me closely, concern in his eyes. I stared past him, feeling lightheaded, my eyes drawn to the colours of the aurora swimming through the sky. My muscles started twitching and I winced, closing my eyes and focusing on working through whatever was happening to me. My breathing became erratic¡ªit felt like snakes were coiling and writhing beneath my skin.

    And then suddenly it all fell away, and I opened my eyes to find myself standing in an all-too-familiar courtyard, rough cobblestones beneath my feet. The walls of the HYDRA research base rose around me once again, this time tinged in hues of blue and purple. Looking up, I could see no sun or moon in the sky, just an aurora of colour splashed across a starry sky, echoing what lay above me in the physical world. I took a few tentative steps forward, looking around in surprise. This wasn¡¯t what I was expecting. I thought back to the nameless HYDRA goon that had been the first person I¡¯d ever killed, in this or any life other. He¡¯d had an impact, sure, but it felt a little bit like the herb was scraping the bottom of the barrel if that was all it could come up with for me, vision-wise.

    I looked at my hands. I was still Wanda. Thinking back, the Ancient One had actually seemed vaguely surprised when she¡¯d seen my astral form. I hadn¡¯t thought much about it at the time¡ªI¡¯d been too busy panicking, and I¡¯d already come to terms with that particular oddity myself when I¡¯d first taught myself to astrally project. Here, though, it felt a bit weightier. If the Ancestral Plane actually existed and was actually an afterlife, then this should be my soul, right? These days I mostly just thought of myself as ¡®Wanda¡¯, rather than feeling any real connection to my old face and name. Had I simply come to identify with this body and appearance so greatly that even my soul had changed to match, or was there something deeper to it?

    Suddenly, a massive, towering curtain of crimson chaos magic churned into being in front of me, thick and opaque. It swirled around me, passing over the walls of the courtyard and leaving them demolished in its wake, the stone scarred and melted as if the fortress had been torn apart by a firebombing run. I watched in shock, following the red energy as it completed a full rotation around me before disappearing, stripping away the auroras of the Ancestral Plane and leaving a burnt-out ruin in a red-tinged wasteland. As the last of the magic dissipated, it revealed a figure standing opposite me in the bloody red light, less than a dozen feet away.

    I froze.

    Wanda Maximoff, her hair bright and fiery, clad in an elaborate red dress and crown¡ªthe full Scarlet Witch regalia¡ªstood glowering at me, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

    ¡°Wanda¡­¡± I trailed off uncertainly.

    ¡°You,¡± she spat, her eyes filled with hatred. ¡°You took everything from me. Everything I could have been.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ I didn¡¯t ask for this.¡± I looked away from her, wilting under her gaze, my tongue thick in my mouth. ¡°This isn¡¯t something I did to you. It just happened. I don¡¯t know why.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s okay then. It¡¯s not your fault,¡± she said, venomous sarcasm dripping from every word. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault you¡¯re here. It¡¯s not your fault you keep pretending to be me. It¡¯s not your fault you lie to Pietro every single day.¡±

    ¡°I had to,¡± I mumbled, taking an involuntary step backwards. ¡°I would have gone crazy by myself. I couldn¡¯t have done anything without him.¡±

    ¡°You could have left. The Ancient One gave you the chance to go home and you chose to stay. To keep my body.¡±

    I flinched back again like she¡¯d slapped me in the face. I¡¯d been trying not to think about this since we¡¯d fled Kamar-taj. I¡¯d spent so long wondering if Wanda had died, if my arrival had killed her or just displaced her somehow, and the Ancient One seemed to know what I was. If I¡¯d submitted and let myself be sent back, presumably to my old body, would Wanda have come back to hers?

    ¡°Even if I had let her send me away, there¡¯s no guarantee it would have brought you back.¡± The words sounded hollow, even to me. Guilt sat heavy in my chest, pressing down on me like a lead weight.

    ¡°You could have tried.¡±

    ¡°I could have. Maybe I should have.¡± Taking a deep breath to steel myself, I raised my eyes and looked back up at her. ¡°I guess I¡¯m just not a good person.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re selfish.¡±

    ¡°I am.¡± The admission made me wince. ¡°I wanted to try to do things better. You didn¡¯t have a happy ending waiting for you. I saw¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you saw,¡± she interrupted, making a dismissive gesture with her hand.

    ¡°Pietro died,¡± I said, and it was her turn to flinch back slightly. ¡°He¡¯d be dead. Right now. If I hadn¡¯t changed things, if I hadn¡¯t stopped Ultron from existing. Pietro would have died. So would a lot of other people.¡±

    Wanda deflated slightly, slumping forward as though she¡¯d been stabbed in the chest. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I wouldn¡¯t let that happen.¡±

    ¡°I saw you break,¡± I continued, swallowing hard as I took a step toward her. ¡°You lost everything, over and over again, and it ate you alive. You were consumed by your grief and took it out on everyone else. You killed a lot of people and then, when you realised what you¡¯d become, you killed yourself.¡±

    Wanda let out a scornful laugh. ¡°¡­maybe this is my punishment, then,¡± she said, a bitter edge to her tone. ¡°What do you think yours will be?¡±

    We stood there silently for a few seconds, just staring at each other, before I shook my head. Wiping my eyes with the back of my hand, I looked around at the silent, blasted landscape around us. ¡°Is this place even real, or is it just a hallucination? Are you real?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Wanda said softly, a bitter edge to her tone. ¡°Are you?¡±

    I looked away again, suddenly feeling very exposed. That was the question that cut right to the heart of it, wasn¡¯t it? This world was a story, back in my original life, and I¡¯d asked myself more than once if this was actually really happening, or if I was lying in a hospital bed in a coma somewhere. Or worse. Why did my astral self¡ªmy soul¡ªlook like Wanda?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, either,¡± I confessed softly. ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters. I feel real.¡±

    Her eyes softened somewhat. ¡°Then tell Pietro the truth. Tell him who you really are.¡±

    ¡°One day, maybe,¡± I hedged, feeling incredibly shitty about it even as the words came out. ¡°After I¡¯ve done what I need to do. He¡­ won¡¯t take it well. It¡¯s better for him if he doesn¡¯t know the truth.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Wanda scoffed as her gaze hardened again. There was enough weight behind the look she shot me that it almost felt like she¡¯d physically slapped me across the face. ¡°But you always will.¡±

    I lurched back into consciousness, gasping for breath as I sat up with a start, looking wildly around me. I was back in the middle of the bush, the Aurora Australis¡¯s ballet of colour unfolding in the night sky above me. If Pietro had been literally anyone else, I almost certainly would have headbutted him, but he moved easily out of the way before ducking back in to snake a supportive arm around my shoulders. ¡°Easy,¡± he murmured. ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡±

    I flinched away from the contact, unable and unwilling to look directly at him. With great difficulty, I calmed myself, focusing on controlling my breathing. I felt a little bit odd, like all my muscles were tightly wound. After a few seconds, I nodded and forced a smile onto my face. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±

    ¡°Did you see¡­?¡± he asked tentatively, his breath misting the air in front of him slightly.

    ¡°No,¡± I said, still not looking at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t see them.¡±

    ¡°What happened? Is everything okay?¡±

    I could hear the anxiety in his voice¡ªmisplaced concern for his sister¡¯s wellbeing¡ªand hated myself just a little bit more for it. I shook my head slightly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m fine. I just¡­ need a minute.¡±

    ¡°Wanda¡­¡±

    I pushed myself to my feet and was startled out of my mental shittiness when I overbalanced forward. Even with the unexpected stumble I caught myself easily, getting my footing back under me almost instantly. Bouncing slightly on my heels, I held my hands out in front of me and flexed my fingers. I looked back at Pietro, eyes wide. ¡°I think it worked.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t want to be a jerk, but can we go now? This place is pretty and I¡¯d love to come back sometime, but it¡¯s freezing out here.¡± Looking at Pietro rubbing at his arms, the cold finally having gotten to him, I realised that I wasn¡¯t as uncomfortable as I had been when we¡¯d first arrived. I could still feel the temperature; it just didn¡¯t bother me anymore.

    A sympathetic smile touched my face. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

 Chapter 12

    It had been a long day. We¡¯d resolved to keep ourselves relatively mobile, portalling across the globe every few hours to stymie the Avengers¡¯ attempts to track us via the radiation emitted by the Mind Stone. We¡¯d avoided large cities for the most part, reasoning that they had a higher risk of detection. When it had come to choosing a place to rest, we¡¯d compromised by selecting a small city at the southern edge of Western Australia called Albany¡ªalmost on the exact opposite side of the planet to the Avengers¡¯ home base in New York.

    Normally, a whole day of running about grabbing supplies and finding places to hide out would have left me pretty exhausted by the evening, but I was still buzzing with energy. I¡¯d already been pretty fit in general, but the Heart-Shaped Herb had elevated things to a whole new level. I actually kind of wanted to go for a jog, which was extremely out of character for me. Not just a jog. I wanted to run, to climb, to jump. I was stronger and faster than I¡¯d ever been, and my body felt eager to test its new limits.

    I realised I was pacing, stalking back and forth in our cheap hotel room like a caged tiger as Pietro watched me with a vaguely amused expression. Was this what he felt like all the time? No wonder he always seemed impatient.

    After watching me for a few minutes, Pietro stood and walked past me to the window, nudging the curtain aside with a finger so he could see outside. A frown marred the corner of his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t like that we¡¯re still running.¡±

    ¡°I know. Neither do I,¡± I said. ¡°Kamar-taj¡­ Wakanda¡­ they were the top of the list because I¡¯d thought they¡¯d be safe places for us to stay.¡±

    ¡°And now we¡¯re scurrying from city to city, constantly looking over our shoulder, trying to keep one step ahead of the Avengers.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Pietro shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. Make better plans. What do we do now? You won¡¯t go after the Avengers, even with them hunting us down. You won¡¯t go after Tony Stark. So what, then? What are we doing?¡±

    I sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to rush things. Make big moves that have big payoffs. Maybe that¡¯s the problem and we should be aiming smaller. Easier.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°We have other options. There¡¯s this,¡± I said, taking out the inscribed bronze sphere that Kaecilius had given me and weighing it in my hand. My best guess was that he was already planning his moves against the Ancient One and was looking to recruit me. I was actually a little surprised¡ªI didn¡¯t know exactly when that whole thing kicked off, but when I¡¯d originally sketched out a rough timeline, I figured I had most of a year before the events of Doctor Strange. I suppose the sort of betrayal that Kaecilius was intending took time, planning and waiting for the exact right time to strike, but still. It felt very early.

    From just a cursory examination, it was clear that the sphere was a similar sort of magical ¡®executable¡¯ as the sling rings¡ªif you channelled magic into it, it would automatically output a specific effect. The problem was I had no idea what any of the geometric ritual designs meant, so I didn¡¯t know what the sphere would actually do when activated.

    ¡°The sorcerer gave you that, right? The one you said turns evil?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He said he wanted to talk, so it¡¯s probably a communicator or signal or some kind, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s a bad guy, so it could be a trap.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Still¡­ it could be worth exploring. If he¡¯s looking to recruit me, I could maybe use him to access some of Kamar?taj¡¯s resources without involving the Ancient One.¡±

    Pietro nodded slowly. ¡°You said the sorcerers know more about magic than anyone.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ve been scrambling for resources but, when it comes down to it, I still have so much to learn about using the power I already have.¡± I touched the locket at my throat, a wisp of chaos magic from my fingers briefly brushing against the Mind Stone. ¡°The sorcerers aren¡¯t our only option there, either.¡±

    ¡°Who else?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s another witch I know about. Agatha. She¡¯s powerful, but she¡¯s a loner. If she doesn¡¯t see us coming¡­ if we take her by surprise, with no opportunity for her to cast any spells, I think we have a good chance of taking her down without much trouble.¡±

    Agatha Harkness had access to resources and abilities accumulated over several hundred years¡ªincluding the Darkhold, a tome of incredibly powerful dark magic. The Darkhold itself had a similar problem to Loki¡¯s sceptre, in that it had an inherently corruptive effect that made it dangerous to use, but that was far from the only benefit of a captive Agatha. Rifling through her belongings might come up with other, less dangerous books on witchcraft, and at the very least I¡¯d be able to observe and hopefully replicate any witch runes she had set up. I might even be able to use magic and the Mind Stone to ransack her mind directly for knowledge, skeevy as that felt.

    ¡°Do you know where she is?¡±

    I held up the sling ring. ¡°Not really, but I don¡¯t need to, remember? I¡¯ve got a pretty solid mental image of her to work with, so I should be able to just open a portal directly to her.¡±

    ¡°You open a portal, I run in, take her down fast¡­¡± Pietro mused. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem too risky.¡±

    ¡°I imagine she¡¯ll have some sort of defences, but she won¡¯t be expecting us. She definitely won¡¯t be expecting you.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m in. Let¡¯s do it.¡±

    I blinked in surprise. ¡°What, right now?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± he shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think either of us are ready to sleep just yet. It shouldn¡¯t take too long, right?¡±

    A knot of anxiety rose in my chest, warring with an electric thrill of excitement. This was incredibly spur of the moment, but Pietro was right, wasn¡¯t he? There wasn¡¯t really much in the way of planning to do for something like this, and it shouldn¡¯t take long to tie things up. It¡¯d be nice to have an easy win, for once. But if it went wrong¡­ everything seemed to be going wrong so far.

    ¡°¡­okay. Agatha¡¯s a witch, so her magic is very similar to mine. Telekinesis, mind control, all of that, but she needs to do incantations to cast most of her spells. Hit her fast enough, knock her out and gag her, and we should be fine. Anything you think would stop me will probably stop her just as easily. The only other thing I think I need to warn you about is the Darkhold.¡±

    ¡°Darkhold,¡± Pietro repeated the name of the artifact, rolling it around in his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Magic book. Very evil. Corrupts anyone who reads it. It¡¯s one of the reasons she¡¯s as strong as she is. It¡¯s kind of hard to miss¡ªyou¡¯ll know it if you see it. Don¡¯t touch it. Just leave it to me.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do with it?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. Honestly, I¡¯m thinking it might be best to just destroy the damn thing. I don¡¯t really know how the corruption works or if it¡¯s even possible for it to be used safely.¡±

    Uncontrolled, the book could cause all kinds of problems if it fell into the wrong hands. Even if I hid it away somewhere, having an easy route to extra power tucked away would make using it tempting, even knowing the risks. Better to remove it from circulation entirely. If it came right down to it and something happened that made me desperate enough to want to access the Darkhold¡¯s knowledge, there was always the structure on top of Mount Wundagore, where the tome¡¯s text had been transcribed from. I¡¯d already proven with Wakanda¡¯s City of the Dead that a strong mental image of a location was sufficient to get me there and the Darkhold Castle was fairly striking-looking, so I was reasonably confident I could picture its profane altar and throne well enough if I needed to.

    Nodding, Pietro bounced on the balls of his feet, stretched his arms out to either side and tilted his head to crack his neck. He gestured to an empty spot of floor in front of him, then looked at me expectantly.

    Slipping the sling ring onto my fingers, I glanced thoughtfully toward the bundle of vibranium spears leaning against the wall in the corner of the room for a moment before deciding they weren¡¯t needed. Agatha would be a hell of a lot more useful to me alive, and with any luck Pietro would be able to knock her out before she had a chance to act properly. Bringing the spears would only make things more lethal.

    Taking a deep breath, I fixed a picture of Agatha Harkness in my mind¡ªher features, her voice, her personality, the purple glow of her magic, her mother¡¯s locket that she wore at her throat. Raising my hands, I began the now-familiar gestures to summon a portal, channelling thin wisps of chaos magic into the ring. After a moment, crimson sparks flared into being at the point in space where Pietro had pointed but, before they could grow and form into a portal, a spike of sudden, searing pain flared up in my hand, as if I¡¯d stuck it into an open fire.

    I yelped, reflexively grabbing at my hand to find that my sling ring was glowing an angry red. As I ripped it off my hand, it singed my fingertips and I dropped it to the carpet. I stared at it in shock for a moment, looking between where it lay on the carpet, rapidly cooling, and the angry red bands across my fingers.

    Pietro was at my shoulder already, one hand on my forearm, alarm in his voice. ¡°What happened? Are you okay?¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    I nodded dumbly, holding up my hand so he could see, my vision blurring slightly as I blinked back tears. He pulled at me insistently, leading me quickly over to the bathroom where could turn on the tap and run cold water over the burn. I stood there for a few minutes, letting the water flow over my scalded skin while Pietro went back to the ring on the floor.

    Holding it gingerly, he placed it on the counter next to the sink. ¡°It¡¯s not even warm,¡± he muttered, looking between it and my hand. ¡°Left a scorch mark on the carpet, though.¡±

    Reaching over with my free hand, I picked the ring back up. Pietro made a noise of protest and moved to stop me, but I waved him off. Looking it over, I was relieved to see that the artifact seemed perfectly fine. I¡¯d have to test it to be sure, but there was no obvious damage, and Pietro was right¡ªI¡¯d seen the glow fading the second I¡¯d dropped it. Whatever had happened had stopped the instant I¡¯d stopped channelling magic through it.

    Mentally, I was kicking myself. ¡°Okay,¡± I said, still slightly shaken. ¡°Maybe I should have considered that Agatha Harkness, the most powerful living witch, would probably have defences against magical attack.¡±

    It hadn¡¯t really come up much outside of using the sling ring so far, but I knew I needed to be smarter about this kind of thing. Just because I had watched a bunch of movies and TV shows didn¡¯t mean I knew all there was to know. Some stuff had never had cause to come up, but that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t exist.

    Whatever had just happened seemed like a radically different effect to the wards that Mordo had set up for us, though. I reached inward for a moment, touching the ongoing enchantment to reassure myself it was still there. The sorcerer¡¯s wards basically prevented a sling ring from locking onto you. There was no backlash or anything, any attempt would simply fail in the same way that it would if you weren¡¯t properly focused on your destination. This had been more like a trap than a ward, which I guessed suited Agatha¡¯s style.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Pietro asked again.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not that bad. It was more of a surprise than anything.¡±

    ¡°So, no portalling to the witch, I guess?¡±

    I shot him a look. ¡°No. No portalling to the witch.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go out and get you some cream to put on it,¡± he said. ¡°Do we need anything else?¡±

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t worry about it. Look, it¡¯s fine.¡± Taking my hand out of the water, I wiggled my fingers at him. They were a little red and tender, but otherwise fine. I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d even blister, given the minor enhancement to healing speed that the Heart-Shaped Herb granted.

    ¡°You¡¯re impossible,¡± he said, shaking his head and walking out of the bathroom.

    Turning off the tap, I followed him out. ¡°Look, that didn¡¯t work out, but there are other things I can try. Stuff that¡¯s less risky.¡± Pietro just looked at me, brow furrowed. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± I protested.

    He changed his expression to a different but equally judgemental one, raising an eyebrow instead.

    ¡°¡­ don¡¯t look at me like that, either,¡± I grumbled.

    ¡°Fine, then. What else?¡±

    I looked at him seriously. ¡°Space.¡±

    ¡°Space?¡±

    ¡°Space.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ want to go to space?¡±

    ¡°We,¡± I corrected him, ¡°definitely want to go to space. You have no idea how much is out there. Allies, technology, the rest of these stones.¡± At that last point, I touched the pendant around my neck.

    ¡°This sounds more risky, not less. How do we even get to space? You can¡¯t just open a portal, right?¡±

    I pursed my lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said honestly. ¡°I know interstellar portals are theoretically possible, but I haven¡¯t tried. We can test it. See if it¡¯s possible and, if it is, then we can talk about next steps. At the very least, if we can get off-planet then we can stop looking over our shoulders for the Avengers.¡±

    ¡°¡­where would we even go? In space, I mean,¡± Pietro asked reluctantly.

    ¡°Like I said, we can talk details later once we know if it¡¯s possible or not.¡± I shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s a planet called Xandar. That¡¯d be the safest place to start, I think, and we might be able to make some friends. There are a group of heroes¡ªkind of like the Avengers, but in space. The Guardians of the Galaxy. From there, there¡¯s a whole heap of things we could do. We just need to take that first step and see if we can get out there.¡±

    He stared at me for a few long moments, then nodded. ¡°Okay, but we¡¯re just checking it works first, right? See if you can make a portal to space. If it works, you close it, and we plan properly.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah, exactly.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± he said, but his body language was tense and ready, as though he was preparing for something more akin to what we¡¯d discussed for Agatha. It was a little annoying that he was expecting things to go wrong again, but I couldn¡¯t really blame him, given our recent track record.

    Slipping the sling ring back onto my fingers, I tried not to wince. I closed my eyes, blocking out distractions to better build a mental image of where I wanted to go. After a minute, I felt like I had it as good as it was going to get, so I opened my eyes again, chose a point in space in front of me as I fed magic into the ring, and gestured. Seconds crawled by, with no sign of a portal.

    I focused, trying to reinforce the picture I¡¯d painted in my head, channelling even more magic into the ring. I felt the spellwork reach out, but it felt like it was flailing. Untethered. Like it wasn¡¯t quite able to find my target to connect to, but not in quite the same way as when it slid off a ward or if I wasn¡¯t doing a good enough job visualising my target. I had no idea if the issue was power, range, or something else, but it just felt like it couldn¡¯t quite get to what it was reaching for.

    Switching targets, I tried picturing Knowhere instead¡ªthe severed head of a long-dead Celestial, floating through space, mining colony and black market in one. I pictured the Collector, the current custodian of the Reality Stone. I tried visualising the interior of the Milano, the ship that I was pretty sure the Guardians of the Galaxy were currently using. None of them worked, but I still wasn¡¯t really sure why. Dr Strange had managed to open an interstellar portal in the original timeline, but that was a one-off in unusual circumstances. It could just be an experience thing¡ªI did only get the ring less than a week ago, whereas Strange had had a significant amount of practice at that point. There might also be other spells or techniques you could use to enhance the ring¡¯s capabilities, and if that was the case then I was pretty much shit out of luck for now.

    Closing my eyes again, I tried a different tack and raised my hands, framing the pendant containing the Mind Stone between them. My fingers twitched, threads of chaos magic interfacing with the stone, and I thought back to the way I¡¯d accidentally projected myself to Ulysses Klaue. Instead of using the artifact to direct my consciousness outwards in an uncontrolled expansion, I tried to focus it, picturing Star Lord and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy in my mind and reaching up and outwards.

    Several long minutes passed as I ran into what felt like a similar issue to what was happening with the sling ring. It wasn¡¯t that the capability wasn¡¯t there, but directing the effect outward just felt like flailing into the void. Was it a problem of scale? It may well be that something I could do easily when my target was on the same planet might require an aid or existing connection when I was trying to reach across interstellar or intergalactic distances. I sighed softly to myself, taking the sling ring off as I opened my eyes again and rubbed at my tender fingers absently.

    Pietro watched me, then shook his head. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough for tonight, yeah? I¡¯m going to get some cream for your hand. We can work on plans in the morning.¡±

    Part of me wanted to argue, but three more small failures in a row had left me feeling a little sensitive. I hadn¡¯t been counting on contacting the Guardians the same way I¡¯d been counting on success with Kamar-taj and Wakanda, but it still stung a little to know that a whole raft of options remained closed to me.

    I opened my mouth, but my stomach beat me to the punch, noisily signalling that it was empty. Pietro grinned at me and I couldn¡¯t help but smile back. ¡°We¡¯ll both go. I could do with a burger or two. Maybe some chips.¡±

    --

    Agatha Harkess swept through her lair like a summer storm, gesturing rapidly as she cast spell after spell, Latin incantations echoing hollowly in the underground stone chamber. Threads of wispy purple laced with blackness lashed out from her fingertips, further empowering the protective runes arrayed around the perimeter of the room. Magical energy boiled off the sigils, cascading into a net-like web of energy between two pillars where a thread of threateningly unfamiliar red magic had been caught in her defences.

    She held her breath, poised to continue reinforcing her spellwork, but there was no follow up, no imminent assault of foreign magics. After a few moments had passed, she allowed herself to relax somewhat, stepping close to the crimson thread that had been trapped in her web. The specific wards that had been set off first were the translocation runes, keyed to a specific expression of sorcerous magic. Her initial thought had been that the Masters of the Mystic Arts had foolishly decided to make another attempt on her life and had thought that her defences against their predictable mystical wormholes had grown lax. It would have been far from the first time she¡¯d had to tangle with the minions of the Sorcerer Supreme over the last three hundred years. But while the spellwork was definitely sorcerous in origin, the magical energy itself was¡­ unusual.

    It glimmered faintly in her net, on the verge of being extinguished. Ordinarily, sorcerous magic would have maintained its cohesion, held tight by the witchcraft. This, however, was barely holding together at all¡ªshe checked it over and it was very obviously being impacted by the basic protective spell that bounded her workshop. The only reason that would be was if it was magic cast by another witch. Which didn¡¯t make any sense. How could a witch use a sorcerer¡¯s spellwork? Both were magic, but they weren¡¯t normally directly compatible like this. Unless¡­

    ¡°Chaos magic?¡± she breathed, surprise and fear warring in her tone as she looked over at a small shelf off to one side, beneath a bookcase full of folios of her original research. Sitting in its display stand on the shelf was a graven black tome with thin traces of molten, hellish energy emanating from it. There was a whole chapter within the Darkhold devoted to the prophecy of the Scarlet Witch, a being capable of spontaneous creation with limitless possibility; a font of chaos magic who needed no incantations nor coven to cast her spells.

    She had always taken the myth of the Scarlet Witch as just that: a myth. A story. But this was evidence that, perhaps, there was more to it after all. Even so, if the Scarlet Witch really existed, why would she be looking for Agatha Harkness? Well, beyond the obvious. She was an exceptional witch, and rather infamously so. Agatha had accumulated a lot of enemies over the years, but she had a habit of making things rather personal, so it was unlikely they¡¯d send someone else after her rather than come themselves.

    A theoretical Scarlet Witch had no reason to seek her out, unless¡­ she sought the power of the Darkhold to add to her own. It was the only thing that made sense. The Scarlet Witch must be seeking the power of the tome for her own ends. Which would be a problem, because Agatha was using it right now and it wasn¡¯t exactly something she was willing to give up.

    ¡°¡®It is her destiny to destroy the world¡¯,¡± Agatha quoted softly to herself, feeling a small frisson of dread. She quickly brushed it aside, took a deep breath, then reached out to the fading ember of scarlet thread. A word of Latin and it separated from the web, caught between her fingers. She blew on it, stoking its power to keep it burning, then walked to the other side of the chamber, passing alcoves filled with minor magical artifacts, curiosities, and the assorted other tools of her craft.

    She paused beneath an ancient stone arch festooned with clinging roots, a goat¡¯s head leered down at her from where it sat mounted on the wall above an aged globe of the world sitting atop a workbench. An incantation spilled from her lips in a litany of spellwork and she gestured, sending the thread of chaos magic toward the globe. It disappeared inside, passing through the yellowed paper and vanishing. Agatha waited and, a moment later, a tiny red pinprick of light appeared on the surface.

    ¡°Australia? Huh,¡± she mused as she stepped over to one side to collect Se?or Scratchy, who was currently wearing the appearance of a brown and white piebald rabbit. As Agatha cradled him in her arms, stroking his soft fur, a small smile played across her features.

    A world-ending being of immense power? A challenge, to be sure, but this was her whole deal, really: taking power from the undeserving.

 Chapter 13

    I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror, looking for any trace of Wanda, but there was nothing. Just me. I¡¯d been in this body for long enough that I¡¯d completely stopped thinking of it as Wanda¡¯s. It was mine. When I looked in the mirror, I just saw me looking back. Not her.

    Seeing Wanda in the Ancestral Plane had been¡­ jarring. Unexpected. If the Ancestral Plane was real and I hadn¡¯t just been hallucinating due to my own guilt at displacing Wanda, then seeing her there meant that she really was dead. Her soul had moved on. I found that thought more upsetting than I expected to. If she was dead, then it meant whatever had put me here had killed her.

    I wished that I¡¯d had the opportunity to speak more frankly with the Ancient One. If anyone could shed more light on how I¡¯d gotten here or what had happened to Wanda, it¡¯d be her. Hell, I wished I could speak to anyone about my situation. Pietro was always around, but there would always be a gulf between us that I couldn¡¯t cross. I couldn¡¯t talk to him. Not really. Not honestly. Even with him there, I was still alone.

    I sighed and retreated from the mirror, leaving the bathroom to drift aimlessly about the rest of the hotel room. After we¡¯d returned from getting what might have actually been the worst McDonalds I¡¯d ever had in either of my two lives, Pietro had headed back out for the evening. He¡¯d made some vague mouth noises about scouting and collecting additional supplies, but I knew he was just bored and wanted to explore. He¡¯d probably find a bar and have a few drinks, maybe try to chat up a pretty Australian girl.

    There was no reason to stop him. I was pretty sure we wouldn¡¯t be detected here and, even if we were, we were literally as far away from the Avengers as we could get. It would take them a long time to deploy here, even if they moved as quickly as possible. Besides, they probably needed to sleep at some point as well. We were as safe here as we could be and it was important for Pietro to have some space and time to himself to unwind a bit.

    I touched the Mind Stone and absently brushed against the surface of my own thoughts¡ªcarefully, of course, no sense in doing anything extreme and risk getting trapped inside my own mind in a recursive loop of self-examination or anything stupid. Still, nothing had changed since I¡¯d looked inwardly during my first few months in this body. As far as I could tell, there was no trace of Wanda¡¯s original mind, nothing hidden or locked away. I was alone.

    Or was I?

    ¡°Uh, Watcher?¡± Talking to an empty room made me feel a little self-conscious. Clearing my throat, I raised my voice slightly, trying to sound confident. ¡°Watcher! I know you¡¯re watching! I know you can hear me!¡±

    I¡¯d been vaguely meaning to try this for a while, but it had sat mostly-forgotten near the bottom of my to-do list given how much of a long shot it was. I had no idea if he existed in this version of this universe and, even if he did, he had his whole ¡®non-interference¡¯ policy and would be incredibly unlikely to respond. It was, at least, an easy thing to try and cost me nothing. There was a tiny chance that my situation was just unique and interesting enough from his perspective that he might humour me for a minute.

    ¡°Look, I know you don¡¯t like to interfere in the worlds you observe, but I¡¯m not exactly from here and I figure you might be the only person I could talk to who might actually be able to tell me what¡¯s going on? Watcher! Come on, please. Talk to me.¡±

    The multiverse was a topic I hadn¡¯t broached with Pietro yet, and I didn¡¯t think it was worth getting into a big discussion of it just to tell him that a powerful entity that looked like a dude with an enormous head might be voyeuristically watching everything we do. Pietro had been pretty good about believing me when I told him things, but this one had just seemed like a lot of effort for a very unlikely payoff.

    I spent a few more minutes cajoling the empty air before writing it off as a lost cause and collapsed backwards onto my bed with a sigh. I suppose it would have been too much to ask for me to be able to just tap a god on the shoulder and ask him how I¡¯d gotten here.

    I stared at the off-white ceiling above me, feeling a little annoyed with myself and the universe in general. Part of me wished I was more tired¡ªthe last time we¡¯d actually slept had been an awkward few hours in the jeep we¡¯d stolen from Klaue, on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere on our way to Wakanda. It was honestly a little tough to keep track of time properly when we kept bouncing from time zone to time zone, but it had to have been at least eighteen or nineteen hours ago. I was due some shut-eye, but my body wasn¡¯t tired at all¡ªeven if I curled up and tried to have an early night, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to turn my buzzing thoughts off very easily.

    My mind turned back to the Avengers. I really, really wished our first meeting had been less¡­ fight-y. I wanted them as allies, not enemies, but it didn¡¯t seem like there was an easy way to work towards that. The Mind Stone was a massive sticking point between us, but any scenario where I didn¡¯t keep it close by felt extremely risky. Thanos would come looking for it at some stage and I needed to deny him access to as many of the stones as possible. The only way I could really guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t get it before I was ready for him was to hold onto it directly. Not only that, but an Infinity Stone was a powerful tool to have at my disposal and it could potentially come in handy going forward against any number of threats beyond just the Mad Titan. On top of that, the Avengers would almost certainly just hand the stone over to Asgard, which was currently being run by Loki in disguise and I really did not want to think about how badly that might end up turning out.

    At this stage, I didn¡¯t have any real way of convincing them to let me keep it or that Loki was alive and had somehow hoodwinked Odin. What I needed was some massive threat that we could work together to avert so I could earn their trust, but I¡¯d already stopped Ultron from existing and couldn¡¯t think of anything else Avengers-level I could prove myself against¡ªat least, not until Thanos showed up.

    Still, I wished there was a way I could safely reach out and open a dialog with them, without risking getting into another fight. Captain America had seemed at least a little sympathetic to our situation and if I could just talk to him¡­

    I paused, kicking myself mentally. The Mind Stone. I¡¯d literally just tried to use it to reach out across space to communicate with the Guardians of the Galaxy. It had failed, but that had felt more like it was because the universe was a huge place and I didn¡¯t have a specific idea of where they were, rather than because it was impossible. Steve Rogers, who was at least on the same planet, should be a lot easier to find.

    Sitting up, I hesitated for a moment and wondered if I should wait until Pietro got back. I had no idea how late he¡¯d be out, and it wasn¡¯t like I was in a rush. It¡¯d be easy enough to wait until morning. Then again, we might have an argument about it¡ªhe still wasn¡¯t on board with working with the Avengers. Besides, I was only going to project my mind. Even if I accidentally showed up in the middle of Avengers Tower and ended up pissing everyone off, I¡¯d be perfectly safe and my body would be staying right here, on the other side of the world.

    My mind made up, I pulled my legs up under me and sat cross-legged on my bed again. Taking a deep breath, I reached into the Mind Stone with threads of chaos magic. Once more, instead of letting my consciousness expand outwards randomly, I focused it on my target. Fixing a mental picture of Steve Rogers in my mind¡¯s eye, I cast the stone¡¯s power out, searching for him. It only took a few seconds. A bright spark in my perception, a mind that somehow ¡®matched¡¯ the picture in my head. He was too far away for my own personal magic to reach him directly, so I couldn¡¯t use his senses to build a picture of his location and instead had to push myself toward him blindly. With an effort of will, I manifested, using the Mind Stone to project myself close to where I felt him.

    I looked around. This was¡­ a bedroom? The sound of running water filtered through from what must have been an adjoining bathroom. I didn¡¯t specifically recognise it¡ªmy memory wasn¡¯t that good and I think it was only shown once or twice¡ªbut this must be Steve¡¯s apartment. Early morning light was just filtering in from a nearby window.

    For a moment I was stunned at just how poor my timing was. I had no idea what his schedule was like and had sort of been mentally preparing myself for the worst, but what I¡¯d expected the worst to be was for me to accidentally pop into the middle of Avengers Tower in front of the entire rest of the team. Showing up in his apartment while he was in the shower hadn¡¯t even been on my radar. At least I hadn¡¯t appeared in his lap while he was using the toilet.

    I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I should wait or come back later, then felt like the decision was mostly made for me when the sound of running water stopped. Unsure what else to do, I sat down on the edge of the bed facing the bathroom door, hands folded nervously in my lap.

    It wasn¡¯t until a split second before the bathroom door opened that I noticed the set of clothes¡ªdark jeans, stretch-fabric grey tee, and men¡¯s briefs¡ªlaid out on the bed next to me. My eyes widened as a freshly-showered Steve Rogers, hair still damp, stepped out of his bathroom. He reacted to my presence almost instantly, his stance tensing and the towel in his hand shifting to interpose itself between my eyes and his modesty.

    ¡°Uh, hi! I am so sorry. Bad timing.¡± I stammered slightly as I spoke, hands held up in a peaceful gesture, my eyes wide and heat rising in my cheeks as I took in his mostly-nude figure. I knew that actors like Chris Evans needed to put their body through hell to maintain their superhero physiques for filming¡ªapparently, though, that wasn¡¯t a concern for actual Steve Rogers. Did he really look like that all the time?

    ¡°Hi¡­¡± His voice was guarded as his eyes flicked briefly around the room, probably checking to make sure Pietro wasn¡¯t about to pounce on him. Slowly and carefully, he wrapped the towel around his waist to cover himself, though he didn¡¯t move from the bathroom doorway.

    I knew it would have been far more polite to avert my eyes, but I was having a lot of trouble tearing them away. ¡°Before you freak out, I¡¯m not really here. I mean, I am here, but not physically. I can¡¯t hurt you, you can¡¯t hurt me,¡± I babbled, touching the pendant at my neck. ¡°If I were actually here, the rest of your team would already be on their way.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, his tone uncertain. ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°To talk. I wasn¡¯t lying when I said I¡¯d be happy to talk to you in a more neutral setting.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t exactly call this a neutral setting,¡± he said, then pointed at the towel around his waist. ¡°And uh, you¡¯ve sort of caught me with my pants down.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    I flushed again, trying and failing once more to do the respectful thing and avert my eyes. ¡°Sorry again. Like I said, just bad timing. I didn¡¯t know exactly where you were¡ªhonestly, I¡¯m just lucky that projecting myself to you put me out here instead of, uh¡­¡±

    Steve let out a slightly forced chuckle. His body language was still incredibly tense, but his face softened. ¡°Yeah, this is awkward enough.¡± He took a small step forward and to one side, shuffling out of the doorframe and vaguely in the direction of his clothes. ¡°You wanted to talk?¡±

    I hesitated. I hadn¡¯t actually thought through what I wanted to say to him, specifically, and the current situation had frazzled me a bit. It took a bit longer than I would have liked to gather my thoughts, the two of us staring awkwardly at each other for a few long seconds before I finally spoke.

    ¡°¡­do you remember what it felt like, just before you found out that HYDRA had infiltrated SHIELD? When you thought Nick Fury had been killed and you had no idea why? Not knowing if you could trust anyone? If you should?¡± I let out a long sigh, slumping forward slightly and closing my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s been a bit like that for me. There have been a lot of people I¡¯ve wanted to trust¡ªthat I felt like I should be able to trust¡ªand things just haven¡¯t worked out.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know what that¡¯s like,¡± he said, his voice quiet.

    Taking another deep breath, I opened my eyes again and looked up at him, searching his features. ¡°I want to trust you. Pietro said that he knows you, but he doesn¡¯t. Not really. I do. Better than you could imagine, even. I just¡­ I want to stop running. Things have been hard enough without the Avengers breathing down our necks.¡±

    ¡°I meant what I said in New Delhi. We only wanted the sceptre¡ªthe power source. It¡¯s too dangerous for us to leave out in the world.¡± Steve shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t have any quarrel with you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what it is. Neither do the Asgardians. It won¡¯t be safe with them. There are so many things I could tell you, but so much of it sounds insane and you wouldn¡¯t have any reason to believe me.¡±

    ¡°Try me. Maybe I¡¯ll surprise you.¡±

    It was my turn to shake my head, a rueful smile at my lips. ¡°There are too many variables. If I tell you certain things and you don¡¯t believe me, it could make things worse instead of better. If I could just convince you¡­¡± I straightened up suddenly, a lightbulb going off inside my mind. ¡°Bucky!¡±

    ¡°Bucky?¡± He blinked, surprised.

    I nodded to myself as I thought it through. ¡°You¡¯re looking for him. I can find him, if you want me to. The portals I can make have a sort of¡­ sympathetic resonance, I guess? I don¡¯t know how to explain it, but I don¡¯t necessarily need to know where a person is to be able to open a portal to their location.¡±

    ¡°¡­you can find him? You¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will work, not for certain, but I think the chances are pretty good and it¡¯s definitely worth trying. If I open a portal here, will you step through? If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll send you straight home.¡± A pleading note had crept into my voice. I could see doubt and hope warring across his face as he listened to me babble and forged ahead. ¡°I know how much you want to find him and I know this sounds risky and like it could be a trap, but¡­ I haven¡¯t had a lot of wins lately. Let me do this for you. Let me do a good thing, no strings attached. Please.¡±

    After a second, Steve let out a soft snort of amusement. ¡°Are you asking my permission to kidnap me?¡±

    ¡°Kind of?¡± I said, smiling back at him. ¡°But only very temporarily. And you can leave anytime.¡±

    ¡°You really think you can find him?¡± he asked. There was a note of something hard to identify in his voice. Hope, hunger¡­ desperation, maybe. I nodded firmly, my eyes bright, and Steve looked at me quietly for a long moment before nodding. ¡°Can I at least put some pants on first?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± I leant back, feeling positively buzzed. This was going to work. I let my eyes roam appreciatively over his bare chest and arms. A small smirk curled the corner of my mouth and I bit my bottom lip, tilting my head questioningly. ¡°Unless there¡¯s something else you¡¯d like me to help you with first? We don¡¯t have to go after Bucky right away.¡±

    He coughed, clearing his throat to hide a smile, then shot me a pointed look. ¡°Do you mind?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡± There was a beat of awkward silence before my brain caught up with the conversation and my smirk turned into a sheepish grin. ¡°Oh! Uh, sorry. Sure thing. One minute, then I¡¯ll open a portal. Be ready to jump through.¡±

    I closed my eyes, focused briefly and snapped back into my own body, returning to the other side of the planet in an instant. Jumping excitedly to my feet, I looked around and hesitated briefly. Pietro wasn¡¯t back yet and probably wasn¡¯t likely to be anytime soon. He wouldn¡¯t be too worried if he returned and I¡¯d ducked out for a bit, but I wasn¡¯t sure how long this was going to take and he was already probably going to be extremely cross with me for making contact with the Avengers without him. Better to have that discussion in person instead of just dropping a note with ¡®gone to hang out with Captain America¡¯ on it.

    Standing up, I grabbed my notebook and tore out a blank page, scribbled a quick note on it before dropping it on Pietro¡¯s bed: ¡®P. Went out for a bit to clear my head. Might be a little while. We¡¯ll talk in the morning. W.¡¯

    Stretching my arms wide, I let out a small sigh of satisfaction as I felt the muscles in my shoulders and back pop. The bundle of vibranium spears leaning against the wall in the corner of the room caught my eye for a moment, but I couldn¡¯t imagine a scenario where I¡¯d want or need them. The worst thing that could happen here was a fight against Cap and Bucky and I really wouldn¡¯t want something like that to turn lethal.

    I hadn¡¯t been counting the seconds, but I figured that that was probably long enough. I retrieved my sling ring from my pocket, slipping it on with a slight wince. The burn from earlier was still a little tender. Picturing the bedroom I¡¯d just been in, I gestured, spinning threads of chaos magic into a portal. A moment later, Steve Rogers¡ªnow fully dressed in the clothes I¡¯d seen laid out for him on his bed, his shield held loosely in one hand¡ªstepped cautiously through.

    --

    Natasha rapped on the door with her knuckles, studying the black lettering stencilled on its opaque glass window as she waited for a response: Alias Investigations. She hadn¡¯t found any listed business hours when she¡¯d done her initial research, but figured that 9AM was a relatively safe bet for someone keeping an office like this¡ªthough it was always possible that the woman Nat was here to see had already headed out on an early morning job.

    Just down the hall behind her, a door opened and a tall, dark-skinned man stepped out. ¡°Can I help you?¡± he called out. ¡°Uh, we don¡¯t usually take walk-ins¡­¡± he trailed off as Nat turned around to look at him.

    She smiled brightly. ¡°Hi, mister¡­?¡±

    His eyes grew round in shock. ¡°Uh, Ducasse. Malcolm Ducasse. Mal. You¡­ you¡¯re one of the Avengers!¡±

    Nat nodded, shooting him one of her best sheepish ¡®I¡¯m just an attractive girl who needs help from a big strong man¡¯ looks. ¡°Yeah. Sorry, I really need to speak to Jessica Jones if she¡¯s available? Do you work with her, or¡­?¡±

    Blinking, Malcolm nodded furiously. ¡°Yeah, yes, of course. Uh, I¡¯ll just get her,¡± he said, bustling into the corridor and giving Nat a wider-than-necessary berth as he slid past her. He fished a key from a pocket, fumbling it a few times as he hurriedly tried to unlock the door, then shot her a nervous and apologetic smile as he stepped in and closed the door behind him.

    After a few moments there was a rapid knocking inside, followed by Malcolm¡¯s muffled voice. ¡°Jess?! Jess, you up?¡± There was a response of some kind, but it was further muted by the multiple doors between them and Nat couldn¡¯t make it out completely. ¡°You alone?¡± Another response, then the faint sound of another door opening. Satisfied that her target seemed unlikely to pull a runner, Nat settled back to wait.

    A few minutes later, she was ushered inside to a disorganised mess of an office and offered a seat on the far side of a desk from a slender, pale woman with greasy black hair. Nat watched patiently as Jessica Jones noisily finished downing the entirety of a 20-oz can of energy drink in about five seconds flat.

    Jones put the empty can down on her desk, maybe a little too firmly, and peered at her with bloodshot eyes over puffy dark circles. ¡°Alright. So, Ms Romanov,¡± she said, her tone laced with suspicion. ¡°What does an Avenger want with little old me?¡±

    ¡°Maybe I just want to hire you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right. As if there¡¯s anything I can do that Little Miss Superspy can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I read the reports about Killgrave. What he could do. What he did,¡± Nat said quietly. Jones went still. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly the same, but I had a man like him control me once, too. I was in the same situation as you. Made the same choice.¡±

    ¡°Want a medal?¡± Jones glared at her, her tone frosty.

    There was a tense moment of silence before Natasha spoke again, changing tacks. ¡°You¡¯re Enhanced,¡± she said. ¡°Super strength.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°So what made you want to be a private investigator?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m good at it. None of your business,¡± Jones snapped, leaning forward over her desk, eyes narrowed. ¡°What do you want?¡± Nodding slowly, Nat reached into the slim messenger bag on her shoulder and pulled out a manilla folder. She offered it to Jones, who hesitated for only a very brief moment before taking it. ¡°I expected an Avenger to be a bit more hi-tech,¡± she said as she flicked it open.

    ¡°Well, I was coming to see a PI, so I thought I¡¯d have a bit of fun and go old school, just for you.¡±

    Jones spared a moment to shoot her an exaggerated, sarcastic smile, then frowned as she looked over the series of large, printed photos of the Maximoff twins. ¡°Who am I looking at?¡± she asked, her brow furrowing slightly as she studied the pictures, taking in every detail.

    ¡°You tell me,¡± Nat said, leaning back to gauge her reaction.

    ¡°Brother and sister,¡± the PI said almost immediately. ¡°Eastern European, at a guess. Pictures weren¡¯t taken in New York¡ªbuildings in the background are wrong. Not sure which country. Europe somewhere. You still haven¡¯t told me what this is all about.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for the answer to a question, Jones. Or do you prefer Jessica?¡±

    Jones just shrugged irritably, gesturing with a hand for her to just get on with it.

    ¡°The question is why, when two Enhanced escaped from a top-secret HYDRA facility in Eastern Europe, the very first thing they did once they had access to a computer was to run a search for ¡®Alias Investigations NYC¡¯?¡±

    Jones looked at her sharply. ¡°Are you asking me if I work for HYDRA?¡± she asked incredulously.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Natasha said, shaking her head. She¡¯s done her due diligence before coming here and if there¡¯d been even a whiff of suspicion that Jessica Jones was secretly working for HYDRA, she wouldn¡¯t have come alone. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t recognise them?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Are their names familiar? Wanda and Pietro Maximoff?¡±

    Jones¡¯s frown grew deeper with each question. ¡°No. Not at all.¡±

    They were interrupted as Nat¡¯s smartphone started buzzing in her pocket, quietly but insistently.

    Despite the lack of volume, Jones still winced slightly at the noise. ¡°Gonna get that?¡± she asked, eyeing Nat resentfully.

    Natasha could tell from the ringtone that it was one of the team¡ªif it was anyone else, she¡¯d have let it go to voicemail, but if it was Tony or Bruce then that meant there might have been a development with the Maximoffs. ¡°Give me a sec.¡± Fishing out the phone, a quick glance at the caller ID told her that Tony Stark was on the other end. She stood and stepped over to the far side of the room, turning away from the room¡¯s other occupant and lowering her voice slightly as she answered. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡±

    Tony¡¯s voice came through clear but subdued, a note of anxiety in his tone. ¡°Steve¡¯s missing.¡±

    Nat frowned. ¡°What? How?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t come in this morning. Tried calling but he isn¡¯t answering. I stopped by, no one¡¯s home. Shield¡¯s not there, but he left his phone behind. Exterior cameras didn¡¯t show him leave.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s missing,¡± she pointed out. There were a dozen reasons she could think of off the top of her head why Steve might have briefly gone radio silent, but something had clearly spooked Tony. ¡°There¡¯s something else, isn¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°There was a blip in the tracking algorithm, right here in New York. A short burst, only just noticeable above the background noise¡ªwe almost missed it. Did miss it. Only saw it after the fact. Bruce narrowed it down to Steve¡¯s block.¡±

    Her blood ran cold. ¡°You think the twins took him.¡± It was more of a statement than a question.

    ¡°Got it in one. Come in?¡±

    Natasha had spoken to Steve after New Delhi. He was sympathetic to the twins¡¯ situation, but that didn¡¯t make them good people. They had an axe to grind and a suite of powers that would make them an absolute nightmare to deal with if they took the initiative and made a serious run at Tony. If the Maximoffs played it smart, isolated them one at a time¡­ first Steve, who would be next?

    Wanda¡¯s powers, in particular, were a serious concern. Nat had had more than her fill of mind control back when Clint had been controlled by Loki using the sceptre and Wanda¡¯s mind-bending abilities were that all over again. If Steve was compromised, they might be in a lot of trouble.

    ¡°We¡¯ll swing by his apartment first, we might spot something you missed.¡±

    ¡°¡®We¡¯?¡± Tony asked dubiously.

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later.¡± She hung up and looked over at Jones, a calculating expression on her face. ¡°How are you with missing persons cases?¡±

 Chapter 14

    ¡°Do you know me?¡± Steve asked softly.

    There was a hesitant pause before the man across from us answered. ¡°You¡¯re Steve. I read about you in a museum.¡± He seemed unsteady, as though the mere sight of us had shaken him even beyond the usual shock of having someone suddenly appear in your apartment.

    Steve kept his tone level and calm. ¡°I know you¡¯re nervous and you have plenty of reason to be. But you¡¯re lying.¡±

    James Buchanan ¡®Bucky¡¯ Barnes¡¯s eyes rapidly darted around the studio apartment. ¡°How did you¡­¡± he trailed off, unsure how to phrase the question. We¡¯d stepped in through a portal behind him as he¡¯d been putting some groceries away in his ancient-looking fridge.

    I shot him a smile and raised a hand. ¡°Sorry, that was me. Magic portal,¡± I said, looking around.

    The wallpaper was yellowed and peeling, the tiles on the splashback of the small kitchenette were badly chipped, with several almost completely missing. All of the windows were papered over with newspaper, the thin barrier letting some light in but completely obscuring the outside world from view. At the front door, a salvaged wooden pallet leaned against the wall next to shelves made of a collection of loose planks and grey cinderblocks.

    ¡°Where are we, anyway?¡± I asked and Bucky blinked at the question, slightly confused. ¡°What city?¡± I clarified.

    ¡°Bucharest.¡±

    I ¡®hmm¡¯ed quietly. Steve glanced at me for a moment before turning his attention back to Bucky. ¡°You pulled me from the river. Why?¡± As he spoke, he leant down slowly, putting down his shield and propping it up against the wall next to a rusted radiator. He took a cautious step forward, one hand outstretched, palm up, like you might approach a wild animal.

    Bucky took a matching step back toward the front door, keeping his stance wide and his centre of gravity low, ready to respond to an attack or turn tail and run in an instant. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He looked distressed.

    ¡°Yes, you do.¡±

    There was another tense moment where nobody spoke. After a few seconds, Bucky deflated slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t remember everything. It¡¯s¡­ hazy. Like a dream. Like it happened to someone else.¡±

    ¡°What do you remember?¡± Steve pressed.

    ¡°¡­your mom¡¯s name was Sarah. You used to wear newspapers in your shoes.¡± His features softened, a wistful smile crossing his face, and he let out a soft chuckle.

    Steve smiled back. ¡°Can¡¯t read that in a museum.¡±

    Bucky¡¯s face stilled, tension suddenly returning, and he looked down at the floor. ¡°You should leave. It¡¯s not safe to be around me.¡± I saw the fingers of his metal hand, mostly hidden by the sleeve of his jacket, ball into a fist.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, Buck.¡±

    I touched Steve on the shoulder, stepping lightly past him to get Bucky¡¯s attention. ¡°It¡¯s the HYDRA programming, right? What they made you.¡±

    ¡°Everything HYDRA put inside me is still there,¡± he ground out. ¡°I¡¯m dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Someone just has to come in, say the right activation phrases and you¡¯ll be him again. The Winter Soldier.¡±

    He nodded slowly, a pained expression on his face.

    ¡°I think I can fix you,¡± I said. ¡°Make it so you never have to become like that ever again.¡±

    ¡°Wanda, I don¡¯t¡­¡± Steve started, eyes widening slightly in alarm.

    ¡°I can. You know I can. You remember what happened in New Delhi? That was just me doing something on the spur of the moment.¡± I met his gaze challengingly, silently willing him to agree. ¡°If I sit down with him properly, I can go in and scrub out what HYDRA put there. He can just be Bucky again. You trusted me once already to find him. You can trust me with this, too.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know you,¡± Bucky said.

    ¡°I¡¯m hoping to change that. I¡¯m a friend. I know what you¡¯ve been through and I want to help.¡±

    Steve looked back and forth between Bucky and me, brow furrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good idea. Whatever they did to his head, it¡¯d be better for him to see a doctor,¡± he hedged.

    I paused, scrambling slightly for a convincing response, but both of us were caught off guard by Bucky¡¯s snort. ¡°A doctor¡¯s not going to be able to fix me,¡± he said bitterly.

    Nodding, I carefully took a couple of steps forward. Bucky didn¡¯t move away, but I wasn¡¯t sure if that¡¯s because he was okay with letting me get closer or if it was only because he was running out of room to back up into. ¡°I know what you mean. HYDRA had me, too. Experimented on me, tried to turn me into a weapon. I still have nightmares sometimes about what they did.¡±

    Memories of nights spent curled up in a ball, crying until I passed out from exhaustion, my body in so much pain I could barely move, rose in my mind unbidden. The feeling of being trapped. A tearing sensation. The squelch of soggy meat. The satisfaction in Dr List¡¯s voice. I realised tears were threatening the corners of my eyes and I hastily rubbed them away, banishing the unwanted thoughts. It wasn¡¯t that bad, I told myself. I was just using the shared experience to connect with him, that¡¯s all. Back into the vault. Kerplunk.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know if I can be fixed.¡±

    ¡°We can try,¡± I said, taking another step toward him. I was standing close enough that I could reach out and touch him now, if I tried to. ¡°Isn¡¯t trying better? Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of all of this? Why run from HYDRA if they¡¯ve already won?¡±

    Bucky raised his eyes from the floor and looked at me, searching my features for¡­ something. I¡¯m not sure what. His gaze flicked over to Steve briefly before he nodded slowly. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡± I asked. When he nodded again, I turned to look back at Steve. ¡°Okay?¡±

    My companion¡¯s expression was hard to read. On the one hand, he seemed extremely reluctant to let me go poking around in his friend¡¯s head. On the other, there was a distinct hunger there, like the conflicting emotions of a starving man when presented with a plate of possibly-poisoned food. After a few moments, he inclined his head a fraction. ¡°Okay.¡±

    A few minutes later, Bucky and I sat knee-to-knee on a pair of wooden chairs that had been retrieved from under a tiny table that rested against the far wall of the studio apartment. Nearby, Steve sat on the edge of Bucky¡¯s bed, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees, watching intently.

    ¡°Close your eyes,¡± I instructed him. ¡°Relax your muscles. Try to clear your mind, if you can. Don¡¯t think of anything in particular.¡± I¡¯d never done this before, of course, so I had no idea if ¡®clearing his mind¡¯ would actually make this any easier, but it just seemed like the right sort of thing to say. If Steve started to think I had no idea what I was doing and put a stop to this, I¡¯d miss my shot.

    Bucky complied, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. I did the same, raising my hands to frame the pendant at my neck between my fingers. Off to the side, I heard Steve inhale sharply as I channelled magic into the Mind Stone. At once, my consciousness expanded outward and I could sense the two of them as brilliant points of light in my awareness.

    I concentrated on Bucky in front of me, pushing forward into his mind and narrowing my focus until the brightness of his thoughts surrounded me. Instead of reaching for his senses or disturbing his surface thoughts, as I¡¯d done with others, I plunged deeper in, diving into the depths and utterly submerging myself in his mind.

    I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what I was looking for¡ªI was mostly just hoping I¡¯d know it when I saw it. Pouring more of myself into him, I struggled for a moment to make sense of the swirling morass of light around me. It seemed to have an internal structure or texture to it, but I couldn¡¯t really understand what I was looking at. As I focused, trying to grasp it, it suddenly snapped into a form I could comprehend and I found myself seemingly elsewhere.

    I could tell that what was around me wasn¡¯t real. Well, ¡®not real¡¯ wasn¡¯t exactly accurate either. It was real in a sense, but what I was seeing and feeling was a product of my own mind¡¯s interpretation of Bucky¡¯s. Or maybe it was his mind¡¯s interpretation of itself? Reply hazy, try again later. Either way, while there was a distinct dissonance between my senses and how I was perceiving the inside of Bucky¡¯s mind, nevertheless I found myself standing in a long corridor in some sort of facility. My awareness of my physical body was dulled but still present, similar to when I¡¯d projected myself using with the Mind Stone.

    The walls and floor looked like solid concrete, pockmarked and dulled with a layer of grime. Steel grates set into the floor ran along the edges of the walls, bundles of power cables running below them. Several doors lined the corridor as it stretched off in either direction¡ªthick, steel affairs set deep into the concrete. Between them were other small features¡ªa series of what looked like emergency lights, currently off, speakers for a PA system, and the occasional boxy security camera. Was this built from a memory of a HYDRA facility? A place where Bucky had been kept as the Winter Soldier, maybe?

    Cautiously stepping over to the closest door, I reached out and pulled at the handle. Locked. I briefly considered trying to bust it open but, when it came down to it, it was too risky. I had no idea what this all represented. If these corridors were Bucky¡¯s mind, damaging a door might inadvertently damage him somehow. Maybe the doors were locked for a reason. Or maybe he was behind one? Either way, I¡¯d be better off doing some exploring and trying to get a better understanding of this place first before I did anything rash.

    I picked a direction at random and started walking, following the corridor and staying alert to any signs of movement. Passing a pair of side passages, I paused to look down each one before continuing. After a while, I reached a T intersection and, after inspecting my options and not seeing any discernible difference between them, turned left and kept walking.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    This place wasn¡¯t what I was expecting at all. In the original timeline, the only time we got a peek at someone¡¯s mental landscape like this was Wanda¡¯s herself, a mostly featureless white void with only a small section of ruined building in it. Then again, that was the mind of a Wanda that had been suppressed and trapped inside herself, artificially limited by the dreamwalker that was possessing her.

    Bucky¡¯s mind, by contrast, felt both enormous and tiny at the same time. The corridors seemed to go on forever, and, when I looked up, instead of a roof the walls of the facility stretched an impossibly far distance above me, eventually ending in what looked like a blank white void. I had a feeling that, were I capable of flight, from the top I¡¯d see a labyrinth¡ªan endless maze of corridors and rooms stretching to the horizon.

    Despite the open space above me, the corridors felt tight and claustrophobic, the walls looming oppressively above me. There was a pressure to the air, the same way that there was when you were deep underground, knowing there were thousands of tons of rock above you. I¡¯d been inside the Great Pyramid of Giza once in my former life, as part of a tour group, and I got the same feeling of weight here as I did there.

    My ears pricked up as I heard a soft thunk up ahead. Breaking into a quick jog, I rounded a corner just in time to see a steel door gently swing closed, as if someone on the other side were trying to make as little noise as possible. I lunged at it, grabbing the handle just before it finished closing. There was a gasp of surprise and fear from the other side and the door resisted my attempt to open it as someone fought to pull it the last centimetre closed from the inside.

    In what might be one of my least graceful moments recently, I braced a foot on the wall next to the doorframe and yanked on the door as hard as I could. I had managed to muscle it open a few inches when the resistance on the other side stopped and the door flung open completely, sending me stumbling back. Clinging helplessly to the handle, I was only just barely successful in my attempt to not fall on my ass.

    Once I¡¯d gotten my feet back under me, I darted through the open doorway into a darkened room, casting my eyes around to spot my unseen quarry. It looked like some sort of ancient computer lab with large, blocky workstations covered in dials and trays of punchcards, and a series of huge magnetic tape reels dominating one wall. The omnipresent light of the corridor seemed to follow me into the room, brightening it as I stepped inside, eyes and ears straining for any hint of movement.

    The barely audible sound of something scraping on the floor beneath a desk tucked behind one of the workstations caught my attention and I carefully circled around, bending down just enough to look under it from a distance. My gaze was met by a pair of frightened eyes that flinched, then softened slightly in puzzlement as their owner took in my appearance.

    ¡°Bucky?¡± I ventured.

    His eyes flew open in panic again and he slammed a finger against his lips, shushing me. I held up my hands, palms outward, then stepped closer to him. As I drew within grabbing distance, Bucky lunged out and seized me by the forearm, forcefully pulling me under the table with him. I let him¡ªnarrowly managing to avoid braining myself on the edge of the table¡ªand hunkered down shoulder-to-shoulder with him. Now that I was closer, I could see his face looked a little younger and less weathered, and that the hand he¡¯d grabbed me with was the only one he had. Instead of a metal arm, the left sleeve of what I now recognised was a dark green military-style shirt hung limp and empty.

    ¡°Bucky?¡± I asked again, whispering this time.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be in here,¡± he hissed quietly, his words barely audible. ¡°He¡¯s coming.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s coming? The Winter Soldier?¡±

    He shot me a fearful look and nodded. ¡°He¡¯s always nearby. I¡ª¡± He went to say something but stopped, his head jerking back as he listened. Just on the verge of my perception, I heard quiet but even footsteps coming down the corridor. Bucky looked back at me, knuckles whitening as he held my arm in a death grip. ¡°You didn¡¯t close the door,¡± he said, his tone laced with horror.

    I reached over with my free hand to pry his fingers off my arm and he let go, still looking at me with an expression like I¡¯d just murdered his family in front of him. Extricating myself from under the table, I stood up just in time to see the Winter Soldier enter the room. He paused just inside the doorway, his stance wide as he regarded me with a cold, dispassionate expression. If he was surprised to see me, he didn¡¯t show it.

    It was Bucky, but it wasn¡¯t. The Soldier was taller¡ªlarger than life, well over six feet¡ªand outfitted in black body armour under a military harness, with a mask covering the bottom half of his face. One sleeve was missing from the outfit, in order to fully show off the arm made of overlapping bands of metal, a bright red star emblazoned on the shoulder.

    ¡°Sorry, soldier boy.¡± I smirked, raising my hands. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not the scariest thing in here anymore.¡±

    He was already moving before I finished my sentence, ducking catlike to one side and reaching to his waist to draw a machine pistol and train it on me in one fluid motion. He squeezed the trigger and the weapon spat a stream of bullets, the sound echoing violently in the confined space. The projectiles deflected harmlessly off my already-conjured shield, robbed of their momentum. To his credit, he didn¡¯t seem fazed and closed the gap between us, dropping the pistol and whipping out a large combat knife. I dodged back from the first two swings and caught his arm with a flicker of telekinetic energy on the third, but he simply dropped the knife into his waiting empty hand, reversing the grip and trying to disembowel me with a vicious backslash.

    I was fairly certain that he would have caught me with that trick, too, if my reflexes hadn¡¯t been heightened by the Heart-Shaped Herb. As it was, I dodged back again and the blade narrowly missed my gut. My power bubbled up inside me and I thrust my hands toward him, lifting him bodily off the ground with telekinetic power and slamming him backwards into the wall next to the door. He struggled, but couldn¡¯t break free from the web of red chaos magic that held him immobile.

    ¡°It¡¯s safe,¡± I said, ducking down to peer under the desk. ¡°Come out.¡±

    Cautiously, Bucky emerged from his hiding space, looking disbelievingly between me and the Winter Soldier, pinned to the concrete like an insect caught on flypaper. He shook his head with a scoff. ¡°It¡¯s not safe. Never safe. I¡¯ve beaten him before. He won¡¯t stop.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s stop him permanently.¡±

    Stepping over to the Winter Soldier, I reached out and pulled a handgun free from the holster strapped to his leg. I cocked it, flicked off the safety, pointed it at my captive, and paused to take a deep breath. This wasn¡¯t real, I reminded myself. It was only a representation of what was happening inside Bucky¡¯s head. A metaphor. I wasn¡¯t about to shoot someone; I was erasing the Winter Soldier persona so that he could move on. Even knowing that, my hand trembled a little and squeezing the trigger took a lot more effort than I¡¯d been hoping it would. The sound of the gun going off seemed deafening, echoing down the corridors of Bucky¡¯s mind. The second and third shots were easier. He jerked and spasmed with each impact, then was gone, vanishing between blinks of my eyes.

    Turning back to Bucky, I frowned slightly when I saw him still shaking his head. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. You think he¡¯d go away that easily? He¡¯ll be back. He always comes back.¡±

    Both of us flinched in surprise as the ancient PA system crackled to life, Russian words spoken by an unfamiliar voice echoing through the facility. ¡°§¨§Ö§Ý§Ñ§ß§Ú§Ö. §²§Ø§Ñ§Ó§í§Û.¡±

    Bucky¡¯s eyes widened in terror, pupils shrinking to pinpricks as he rounded on me. ¡°What did you do?!¡±

    ¡°§³§Ö§Þ§ß§Ñ§Õ§è§Ñ§ä§î. §²§Ñ§ã§ã§Ó§Ö§ä.¡±

    I looked around in alarm as the words continued. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m guessing that isn¡¯t normal?¡±

    ¡°§±§Ö§é§î. §¥§Ö§Ó§ñ§ä§î.¡±

    Bucky dropped to the floor, clutching at the side of his head. ¡°He¡¯s coming,¡± he ground out, spitting the words through gritted teeth.

    ¡°§¥§à§Ò§â§à§ã§Ö§â§Õ§Ö§é§ß§í§Û. §£§à§Ù§Ó§â§Ñ§ë§Ö§ß§Ú§Ö §ß§Ñ §²§à§Õ§Ú§ß§å.¡±

    Backing up a few paces, I readied myself. Was Bucky about to turn into the Winter Soldier? Or did he mean he was coming from outside again? I moved so that I could watch both the man on his knees in the middle of the room as well as the open door. This shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Restraining the Winter Soldier had been easy enough. All I needed to do was stay alert and catch him again as soon as he showed up, then I could reassess.

    ¡°§°§Õ§Ú§ß. §´§à§Ó§Ñ§â§ß§í§Û §Ó§Ñ§Ô§à§ß.¡±

    As the final word was spoken, the omnipresent lighting died and the room was plunged into darkness. A fraction of a second later the emergency lights kicked in, casting everything in a harsh red glare. Bucky had dropped his hand to his side, sagging down in defeat. Several seconds crawled by in tense silence before the stillness was broken by the sound of footsteps echoing in the corridor outside the room once more. I nodded to myself, feeling confident, and went to say something to Bucky to reassure him. Suddenly, however, I found myself unable to breathe¡ªlet alone speak¡ªas a crushing vice clamped down on my windpipe.

    I flailed impotently in surprise, reached up to claw at my throat as the pressure increased. In a panic, I flung myself away from Bucky¡¯s mind and reached for my connection to my own body. Back in his apartment, my eyes flew open to see a familiar cold, dispassionate expression inches away from my face, metal fingers digging into my flesh as the Winter Soldier tried to choke the life from me.

    --

    T¡¯Challa entered his father¡¯s study, closing the door behind him. The king, his father, stood up from his desk with a small smile as he approached him. ¡°T¡¯Challa.¡±

    Holding out his arms, he embraced him briefly before retreating a step. ¡°The briefs on the Red Woman and her brother have been circulated to all War Dogs. They will be found.¡± He found himself scowling as he said the words, a burning anger rising in his chest. Wanda had threatened his father, his sister, and then just walked away. She would not escape his grasp. He would repay every word, every gesture.

    ¡°We must tread carefully. Their powers cannot be underestimated. Have we received any information confirming the details of her warning?¡±

    A flash of annoyance passed across T¡¯Challa¡¯s face. ¡°Baba, I do not know why you are so willing to entertain anything that that treacherous woman said.¡± She had lied and manipulated her way into the palace, threatened all of them, and then heaped insult on top of the indignities she had already inflicted by stealing the Heart-Shaped Herb right from their sacred garden. ¡°Our American War Dogs have confirmed the existence of the man the Red Woman spoke of¡ªthis Erik Stevens. The Killmonger,¡± he grudgingly admitted.

    King T¡¯Chaka nodded slowly to himself, a heavy weight seeming to settle on his shoulders. Suddenly, he looked older. Vulnerable. Why had the Red Woman¡¯s words shaken his father so?

    ¡°My son,¡± his father said finally. ¡°There is something I must tell you. A secret I have kept for too long.¡±

    ¡°Baba?¡±

    ¡°My brother took a War Dog assignment in America.¡± As he spoke, he walked slowly over to the window, looking out over the shining skyline of Birnin Zana. ¡°I placed Zuri there to observe, unbeknownst to him. N¡¯Jobu was my brother, and it gave me peace to know that he was being watched over. However¡­ he fell in love with an American woman. They had a child.¡±

    T¡¯Challa inhaled sharply at that. ¡°She was telling the truth? I have a cousin?¡± It seemed that a devil like her could wield the truth as a weapon as easily as a lie, after all.

    ¡°The hardships your uncle saw there radicalised him. He believed strongly that Wakanda should provide vibranium weapons to those that suffered, so they could fight back against their oppressors, but knew I would not support him. So he betrayed us. He betrayed Wakanda.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± T''Chaka flinched back.

    ¡°N¡¯Jobu helped Klaue steal the vibranium. It was his plot.¡±

    The prince felt his face growing hot, a hoarseness to his voice that wasn¡¯t there before. ¡°No, no, no¡­¡±

    ¡°I went to him. Confronted him. I only intended to take him home¡ªto make him face the council, inform them of his crimes.¡± His father paused, looking sadly back toward him. ¡°He would not allow it. He drew a weapon. I killed him.¡±

    It felt like T¡¯Chaka had been punched in the gut. He looked at his father¡ªhow could this be? How could he have killed his own brother?

    ¡°And the child?¡± he asked. Though he already knew the answer, he needed to hear his father admit to it.

    ¡°We left him.¡±

    ¡°Why? Why didn¡¯t you bring the boy home?¡± A few moments passed in silence, his father simply hanging his head in shame. ¡°Why, Baba?¡±

    ¡°He¡­ he was the truth I chose to omit.¡±

    ¡°You abandoned him.¡±

    ¡°I chose our people. I chose Wakanda. Our future depended on Wakanda remaining hidden. Remaining strong. N¡¯Jobu was dead. It would have served no purpose to sully his memory except to weaken us.¡±

    T¡¯Challa¡¯s emotions raged beneath the surface¡ªanger, disbelief, sadness. This was all too much. His jaw worked silently for a few moments before he ground out his next words. ¡°The Red Woman¡­ she spoke so cryptically because she knew what you had done. How? How is that possible?¡±

    ¡°I do not know.¡±

    ¡°This man, this Killmonger. He is a monster of your making. You were wrong to abandon him. We must take responsibility. We must right this wrong.¡±

    ¡°T¡¯Challa¡­¡±

    ¡°I will find my cousin. I will bring him home.¡±

    His father¡¯s expression was grave. ¡°The Red Woman spoke of things she could not know. What if she was right about the threat he poses, as well?¡±

    T¡¯Challa set his jaw stubbornly. ¡°I will find the truth. I will bring him home. And if he is truly beyond reason, if he is lost to the hate in his heart¡­ then I will do what must be done.¡±

 Chapter 15

    Jones waved her hand, indicating the banks of hardware that dominated one side of the room. ¡°You detected them before, right? You can¡¯t just use all this to track her down again?¡± She snorted, looking decidedly unimpressed.

    Tony started to bristle, but Bruce interjected before he could say anything. ¡°The tracking algorithm isn¡¯t reliable anymore. The net¡¯s getting more and more holes in it every day¡ªthere¡¯s a limit on what we can ask people to do for us. Labs have got their own things they need to use their equipment for.¡± He walked over to one of the monitors showing data from the algorithm and pointed at a barely discernible spike in one of the feeds. ¡°There was a blip here in New York. Our equipment¡¯s sensitive enough to be able to narrow it down to Steve¡¯s apartment building. It was faint, below the threshold we¡¯d set, so we didn¡¯t see it right away and didn¡¯t think to go looking until it was too late.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure it was a match? Why was the signal so faint?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Tony said sullenly. ¡°Any ideas that the experts in radiology here might not have thought of?¡±

    Bruce was more conciliatory. ¡°It could just be a blip in the background, but if it is it¡¯s pretty coincidental.¡±

    ¡°Coincidences happen all the time.¡± Jones folded her arms and frowned. ¡°Wanda can¡­ what¡¯re her powers again? She can teleport?¡±

    ¡°She creates portals in the air that connect two locations, among other things. We¡¯re not sure on the details yet, but they basically seem to be miniature wormholes of some kind.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ and she knows you can track that thing she¡¯s carrying?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she seemed to realise it when we caught up with her in New Delhi.¡±

    ¡°If it was her, maybe she didn¡¯t actually come through? Opened a portal then closed it again?¡±

    Clint leaned back against the wall next to Nat and exchanged a thoughtful glance with her. ¡°That might explain it.¡±

    ¡°You said her brother¡¯s fast¡ªhow fast? Could he have run through, grabbed Rogers and gone back super quick?¡±

    ¡°Easily.¡± Nat found she was nodding along, but caught herself when she saw that Jones¡¯ frown had deepened.

    ¡°It¡¯s a neat answer, but I don¡¯t like it. Are the portals flashy? How quickly do they open? Would he not have had any chance to react? Is her brother really so fast that he¡¯d be able to take down Mr America without a struggle and leave without any sort of sign left behind?¡± Jones looked around at them as she talked it through, obviously expecting Tony or someone else to interject or challenge one of her questions, but no one did. ¡°There was nothing out of place in his apartment. It was like he got dressed then evaporated into thin air. If they¡¯d hit him hard and fast, there¡¯d have been something, right? And why take him in the first place?¡±

    No one else seemed to be interested in answering, so Nat took the opportunity to voice her own concerns. ¡°Wanda can control minds. They might be trying to subvert him.¡±

    Nat saw Jones go still at the mention of mind control, but a moment later she shook her head. ¡°But then they¡¯d have been extra cautious about being caught, right? Getting a mole into the enemy base is pointless if they detect you right away.¡±

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t cautious enough?¡±

    ¡°Nah. You¡¯re not tracking her, you¡¯re tracking the thing she stole, right? And she knows that. If they were worried about being caught, wouldn¡¯t it make more sense to put it down somewhere safe for a moment, then kidnap Mr America?¡±

    ¡°She could be paranoid and not want to let go of it?¡± Tony said hesitantly, but it was pretty clear he was just arguing for argument¡¯s sake rather than because he thought Jones was wrong.

    ¡°We¡¯re missing something. Someone else could be trying to make it look like the Maximoffs took him, but that doesn¡¯t feel right either,¡± Jones mused. After a few seconds, she looked over at Nat. ¡°Is there any reason he might have gone willingly?¡±

    Nat froze. Wanda had affected Steve¡¯s mind in New Delhi, but that had worn off pretty quickly. Hadn¡¯t it? A heavy weight seemed to settle in her stomach. From the meaningful glances being exchanged, she could tell that the rest of the team had had the same thought. She found herself running back through every conversation she¡¯d had with Steve over the last few days. He¡¯d been sympathetic to the Maximoffs, sure, but she was pretty sure Steve could empathise with anyone, so nothing had seemed out of character, but now¡­

    Jones read the sudden silence correctly and nodded to herself. ¡°So there is something?¡±

    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Clint swore. ¡°I should have picked up on it. The sceptre¡­¡±

    ¡°His eyes were fine. No blue,¡± Bruce protested half-heartedly. ¡°I mean, none beyond the normal amount.¡±

    ¡°His eyes were fine when we fought, I think,¡± Tony said quietly. ¡°I can pull the footage from my helmet to confirm.¡±

    Jones looked between them questioningly. ¡°You want to fill me in, or¡­?¡±

    Tony moved abruptly, stalking over to a chair and collapsing down into it. He looked tired. ¡°No point dancing around it. We told you about her mind control. Loki¡¯s sceptre could do it, too, and it¡¯s pretty insidious. Long lasting. The sceptre is what gave the Maximoffs their powers and its power source is the thing hanging around Wanda¡¯s neck.¡±

    ¡°Loki as in Thor¡¯s brother? Invaded New York a little while back with a space army?¡± Jones asked slowly. ¡°That Loki?¡±

    Thor, who¡¯d been content to loom quietly in the background for most of the discussion, nodded morosely. ¡°Even in death, my brother¡¯s foolhardy actions still plague us.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± she gave Nat a hard look. ¡°I¡¯d thought they were just Enhanced. No one said anything about alien space god magic. Portals, mind control¡ªanything else I should know?¡±

    ¡°Telekinesis, energy projection,¡± Bruce answered. ¡°That¡¯s all. We think.¡± He shot her a sheepish, apologetic look.

    ¡°Great. She sounds like she¡¯s going to be a pain in the ass to deal with.¡±

    ¡°But why take him, if he remained under her control?¡± Thor asked, circling back around to the questions Jones had been asking earlier. ¡°Why now?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Nat shrugged. ¡°They were after something specific, maybe. She got what she wanted, extracted the asset. We don¡¯t know that he was under her control, but until we can establish otherwise it¡¯d be safer to assume anything he knows, she does as well.¡±

    ¡°We should make some changes while we work this through. I¡¯ll get JARVIS to update security protocols. Change the locks, just in case.¡± The door nearest to Stark slid open and he paused.

    ¡°Sorry to interrupt, we¡¯ve had something come up,¡± Maria Hill said as she stepped into the room, tablet held cradled in one hand. She paused and her eyes flicked over to Jones briefly, her expression turning questioning. Nat nodded briefly and she continued. ¡°Police in South Africa rolled up a black-market arms operation based out of a coastal salvage yard after it got hit. The initial reports made it seem like it was a rival dealer, but one of the guys they arrested was rambling about ¡®something moving faster than the eye could see¡¯ and a ¡®red woman¡¯.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like the Maximoffs,¡± Bruce said, perking up.

    Stark snapped his fingers, forehead creased in thought. ¡°Wait a minute. South African coast, arms dealer? Do we have a name?¡±

    Looking back down at her tablet, Maria pursed her lips. ¡°Ulysses Klaue.¡±

    ¡°Klaue? I know that guy. From back in the day.¡± Jones shot him an unimpressed look and he shrugged. ¡°There are conventions, alright? You meet people. I didn¡¯t sell him anything.¡±

    ¡°From what the witness said, it looks like they abducted Klaue so he could take them somewhere,¡± Maria said. ¡°Took their ¡®special stock¡¯, too, though it doesn¡¯t look like they were able to determine what that was.¡±

    Nat held out a hand expectantly and Maria brought her tablet over, tapping away at it to bring up a series of photos. Thor and Jones hung over each of Nat¡¯s shoulders as she looked over the pictures¡ªseveral shots from what looked like some sort of weapons deal, focused on a rough, greasy-looking man with tribal-style tattoos peeking from the top of his shirt.

    Stark was still talking in the background, partially to himself, his expression thoughtful. ¡°He was talking about finding something new, a game-changer. It was all very Ahab.¡±

    Thor pointed to the bottommost picture. ¡°This?¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Jones stepped away, clearly feeling a little crowded, as Stark joined the huddle around the tablet. ¡°It¡¯s a tattoo, I don¡¯t think he had it back then.¡±

    ¡°Those are tattoos,¡± Thor clarified. ¡°This is a brand.¡±

    ¡°What is that? The symbol?¡±

    ¡°JARVIS?¡± Tony spoke to the air. ¡°Can you look this up for us?¡±

    ¡°Running a search now, sir,¡± the smooth, synthesised voice came from seemingly everywhere and nowhere at once and Nat caught Jones looking around, trying to determine its source. ¡°Pulling up a translation on screen.¡±

    Bruce turned back to his monitor, which had switched over from the gamma algorithm to a replica of the symbol, explanatory notes scrolling alongside it. ¡°Oh, yeah. It¡¯s a word in an African dialect meaning ¡®thief¡¯¡­ in a much less friendly way.¡±

    ¡°What dialect?¡± Jones asked.

    Bruce squinted at the screen. ¡°Wakanada? Uh¡­ Wak-Wakanda.¡±

    It was almost imperceptible¡ªif Nat hadn¡¯t already been looking in his direction, she might not have noticed it¡ªbut Tony went still as soon as Bruce managed to get through the name of the country. ¡°Tony?¡± she prompted him.

    He shot her a pensive look. ¡°If this guy got out of Wakanda with some of their trade goods¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t follow,¡± Bruce said, confused. ¡°What comes out of Wakanda?¡±

    ¡°The strongest metal on Earth.¡±

    ¡°Vibranium?¡± Nat tilted her head to the side. ¡°Like Steve¡¯s shield?¡±

    ¡°Oh, now that can¡¯t be a coincidence, can it?¡± asked Clint.

    ¡°Took Klaue, took his stock. Took Steve, took his shield. The witness said Klaue was going to take them somewhere?¡±

    Maria nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what it says.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re scooping up vibranium left and right. Think they¡¯ve decided to go right for the source?¡± Tony said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

    ¡°Can we reach out to Wakanda? They¡¯re pretty isolationist if I recall correctly, but they might work with us if we warn them about what the Maximoffs can do,¡± Nat said as she handed the tablet back to Maria. Turning to Jones, she cocked her head to the side and shot her a questioning look. ¡°Want to hang around for a bit? We might need your eye.¡±

    ¡°¡­I suppose I can help out.¡± The PI shrugged, pulling a face. ¡°I really don¡¯t like mind controllers.¡±

    ¡°Preaching to the choir here, sister,¡± said Tony as he stepped past them. ¡°I¡¯ll get onto those security protocol changes. Welcome to the team.¡±

    --

    I grabbed at the metal fingers wrapped around my throat in a panic, desperately trying to pry them off. My efforts met with mild success, easing the crushing pressure just enough that I was able to suck in a small amount of much-needed air. Even though Steve was seemingly as caught off-guard by Bucky¡¯s sudden attack as I was, not being stuck inside a mental construct meant that he¡¯d reacted much quicker than I had and already had his friend in a sleeper hold, one bicep locked around Bucky¡¯s neck to cut off the flow of blood to his brain.

    Between my mild success at stopping him from crushing my windpipe and Steve on his back, Bucky was forced to give up on me to focus on keeping himself in the fight. He shoved me back with a savage thrust and I landed painfully on the chair that I¡¯d been sitting on when we started. The flimsy wood splintered as I went down, dazed and gasping for air like a beached fish. Ignoring the blossom of pain from what was probably a new set of chair-shaped bruises, I shakily probed at my neck with my fingers, confirming to myself that it was still intact and he hadn¡¯t just torn my throat out.

    While I hesitated, Bucky grabbed Steve¡¯s arm with his metal one, prying it away from his neck, then bodily threw himself backwards. Steve held on grimly as he was slammed into the wall¡ªonce, twice, three times¡ªhis grip loosening with each impact until Bucky was able to dislodge him and flip him forward over his shoulder. Steve crashed down onto the remaining chair, smashing it to kindling.

    I flailed a hand at Bucky, pulling at him with wisps of red telekinetic energy to try to run him head-first into the opposite wall, but instead of being caught off-balance he leaned into it, stepping forward to run up the wall before killing the momentum with a backflip and landing lightly back on his feet. As I processed what had just happened, he turned and lunged toward me, metal arm outstretched.

    My body reacted without any conscious input from my brain, one foot tucking itself under me to launch myself forward, ducking smoothly under his arm. Bucky was just as fast, turning the lunge into a reverse elbow strike to try to catch me as I moved past him, but I twisted as I straightened up and blocked his arm with the palms of both my hands. There was a barely-noticeably pause as both of us were surprised at how quickly I¡¯d managed to respond to his attacks, then Steve joined the fray, coming in with a sweeping kick to Bucky¡¯s legs.

    I bounced back and watched for a second as the two of them exchanged a rapid series of blows and counter-blows. My own enhanced reflexes had let me keep up with the Winter Soldier briefly, but I severely doubted my ability to do so for more than a few seconds. Steve and Bucky¡¯s physical enhancements at the very least matched what I¡¯d gained from the Heart-Shaped Herb, and even though I¡¯d had some hand-to-hand training during my time with HYDRA, it was pretty clear I was an amateur compared to the two of them.

    ¡°Alright, enough,¡± I said, raising my hand again and taking firm hold of the power that was bubbling up within me, my magic responding easily to the surge of adrenaline the fight had caused. Red strands of chaos magic speared out, bright and strong, and slammed directly into Bucky, lifting him in the air before flattening him against the far wall. He tried to struggle, but gave up quickly when he realised there was no give in my telekinetic grip, electing to glower impotently at me instead.

    Steve had followed Bucky¡¯s movements with his guard up but, once he realised that his friend was no longer a threat, he turned back to me, concern in his eyes. ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°No harm done,¡± I said, my voice hoarse and a bit shaky. I touched my throat again absently. Breathing hurt a bit and I imagined that I¡¯d probably have some ugly red marks on my neck if not outright bruising. My shoulders shuddered involuntarily. If I¡¯d been a little slower to react, or if I hadn¡¯t been enhanced by the Heart-Shaped Herb, the Winter Soldier would have probably just crushed my larynx.

    Steve didn¡¯t look convinced. He spared a quick glance at Bucky to confirm he was immobilised before he turned his full attention to me, stepping in close. ¡°May I?¡±

    I nodded, then inhaled sharply as he reached out and gently took hold of my chin, lifting it slightly as he inspected my neck. I was suddenly hyper-conscious of his fingertips on my skin and how close he was standing to me, to the point where it was a struggle to maintain my focus on keeping Bucky pinned against the far wall. Well, that was pathetic. I hadn¡¯t realised how utterly touch-starved I was. ¡°Uh, I said we could do that before we went after Bucky. I don¡¯t think now¡¯s a good time,¡± I tittered nervously.

    He shot me an exasperated look, though I thought I saw the corner of his mouth twitching as he stopped himself from smiling. His piercing blue eyes stayed locked with mine for a moment as he very carefully tilted my head slightly to the left and right, probably just checking to see if the movement would make me wince or whatever. With any luck, he wouldn¡¯t be able to see the genuine blush rising in my cheeks through the flush of exertion from the fight.

    After what felt like both an incredibly short few seconds and an actual eternity, he let go of me, seemingly satisfied that no serious damage had been done. I cleared my throat and looked away, straightening my dress to give my hands something to do as I stepped awkwardly past him and looked at Bucky. This was good. This was progress. Steve was treating me like a teammate, not a barely trusted enemy. I allowed myself a small measure of hope. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s just take a minute or two then I¡¯ll go back in.¡±

    Steve made a small noise of surprise. ¡°You want to try again? He could have killed you.¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, he caught me off-guard, but he isn¡¯t going to get a second chance to do that. I should be able to maintain my hold on him for as long as we need. I¡¯ll keep him bound and you just¡­ be ready to jump in if something goes wrong. Again.¡±

    I felt his eyes on the back of my head for a long moment before he spoke again. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°Bucky¡¯s a good man who¡¯s had terrible things done to him. I can help. Who would I be if I refused just because it might be a little dangerous?¡±

    ¡°¡­do you know what went wrong?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. This is more art than science¡ªI just need to take it slow, be careful, and work out the best way to deal with what¡¯s in his head.¡±

    ¡°Okay. If that happens again, though¡­¡± he trailed off warningly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll reassess. Promise.¡±

    As we spoke, I stared at Bucky, walking myself back through what had happened in his mental landscape. My magic had overwhelmed the Winter Soldier persona easily enough when I¡¯d encountered it, but ¡®killing¡¯ it wasn¡¯t the answer. Then again, if I could bind it, might that not be at least a temporary solution in itself? If I could restrain the Winter Soldier persona, all I needed to do was use an ongoing enchantment instead of an ad-hoc expression of magic. I hadn¡¯t actually tried to make an ongoing effect before, but it was clearly something I was capable of from Wanda¡¯s showings in the original timeline. The only issue was that it would probably make Bucky dependent on me to keep it going until we were able to deprogram him more thoroughly.

    I examined the threads of chaos magic woven around Bucky¡¯s body, then touched my chest and closed my eyes, sending my awareness inside myself to carefully trace the shape of the wards that Mordo had placed on me. The sorcerous magic was far more rigid and structured than my own, but maybe I could use the wards as a little bit of a model. After a few moments of examination, I opened my eyes and tweaked the way my magic was flowing through the telekinetic bindings holding Bucky, tying them off in a similar way before releasing my concentration.

    The bindings held and I smiled to myself. They wouldn¡¯t last for that long, maybe a few minutes at most. I had power to spare, so I¡¯d never really focused on trying to make my magical effects particularly energy-efficient, but now that I understood how to do it, I could practice and improve.

    I made a small noise of frustration in the back of my throat. This would work a lot better if I could get a better understanding of the ¡®battery¡¯ style enchantment that Mordo had placed on Pietro. I¡¯d been feeding small amounts of magic into it on a regular basis, but hadn¡¯t taken the time to really examine it in any detail. It¡¯d be easier to do something similar to it if I had it in front of me.

    ¡°Uh, Wanda? You¡¯re glowing.¡±

    I blinked, the non-sequitur dragging me out of my thoughts. ¡°Huh? Thank you?¡±

    ¡°Your jacket.¡±

    I looked down. There was a noticeable orange glow coming from inside my jacket pocket and it took me a second to understand what was happening before I yanked it off in a panic and threw it across the room. ¡°Shield!¡± I yelled, flicking a hand to the side of the room and yanking Captain America¡¯s shield from where it sat propped against the wall with a small jolt of telekinetic energy. I ducked behind Steve as he caught the shield and we both fell into a crouch, the Avenger protecting himself with the shield and me with his body.

    Several long seconds passed as nothing happened. ¡°What¡­?¡± Steve asked hesitantly.

    ¡°Uh, maybe a bomb?¡± The orb Kaecilius had given me had started glowing and I had no idea why.

    ¡°¡®Maybe¡¯?¡±

    I was quiet for a few more seconds, then cautiously straightened up to look at where my jacket lay in a crumpled heap on the far side of the room. The glow remained steady with no indication it was getting stronger or about to do anything else. I cleared my throat again, slightly embarrassed, absently fixing up my dress as I realised that a strap had fallen off one of my shoulders. ¡°I might just be getting a call?¡±

    Almost as if in answer to my words, the familiar sight of a sorcerous portal sparked into existence above my jacket, quickly expanding to reveal Kaecilius standing on the other side. As he stepped through, I caught a glimpse of a heavily forested area behind him before the gateway closed.

    ¡°Ms Maximoff.¡± The sorcerer placed a hand on his chest and inclined his head respectfully. ¡°It is a pleasure to see you again. I hope this isn¡¯t a bad time?¡±

 Chapter 16

    ¡°Uh, Master Kaecilius. This is¡­ unexpected,¡± I said awkwardly. I glanced between the sorcerer and Captain America and hesitated, eyes wide. Mentally, I was torn between trying to work out how I was going to navigate this conversation¡ªof all the things that could have happened, this hadn¡¯t even been on my radar¡ªand being surprisingly annoyed that I¡¯d just done an off-the-cuff awesome dynamic superhero team thing with Captain America and it had fizzled like a wet fart.

    While I vacillated, Kaecilius took in Steve and his shield. ¡°You keep interesting company, Ms Maximoff. You¡¯re out of uniform, but you are Captain America, are you not? One of the Avengers.¡±

    ¡°I am. It seems you have me at a disadvantage, Mr¡­ Kaecilius, was it?¡±

    The sorcerer inclined his head. ¡°Please, Master Kaecilius. My rank was fairly earned and I ask that you respect it, captain.¡± As he spoke, Kaecilius slipped his sling ring off his fingers and attached it to the loop at his belt with a practiced motion.

    I winced internally and my eyes flicked back toward Steve in time to see him track the movement. He glanced back up at me and our eyes met for a brief moment. He¡¯d seen it, I¡¯d seen he¡¯d seen it, and he¡¯d seen I¡¯d seen he¡¯d seen it. I was pretty sure he¡¯d noticed me take my own ring off to tuck it into my pocket after we¡¯d arrived at Bucky¡¯s apartment, though I¡¯d tried to do it discreetly. I¡¯d been hoping that the Avengers would continue to assume the portals were just another aspect of my power for at least a while longer, but at this stage Steve was more than capable of connecting the dots, even if he didn¡¯t really understand the true nature of the rings or magic involved.

    ¡°Of course. Master Kaecilius, my apologies.¡±

    The sorcerer¡¯s eyes wandered over to where Bucky was still pinned to the wall by my magic. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, I appear to have interrupted something?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said, shaking my head, ¡°but how did you find me, exactly? I¡¯m warded.¡±

    ¡°I gave you a beacon, keyed to me. It allowed me to reach out and find you. My apologies for not being clearer about its function¡ªas you¡¯ll recall, we were pressed for time.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what it was. I thought it might have been a communicator of some kind.¡±

    ¡°Or a bomb,¡± Steve added unhelpfully, watching the sorcerer¡¯s reaction carefully. ¡°You thought it might have been a bomb.¡±

    The corners of Kaecilius¡¯s mouth quirked up in a smile and I shrugged with a bit of forced nonchalance. ¡°We met in stressful circumstances. I didn¡¯t really know what your angle was.¡±

    ¡°Understandable.¡±

    ¡°What circumstances were those?¡± Steve asked.

    ¡°Not important,¡± I said hastily.

    ¡°Really? Because the way that you said that makes me think they might be important.¡±

    The sorcerer gave me a barely perceptible nod of acknowledgement. ¡°No, Ms Maximoff is correct. The past is the past and cannot be changed. I am more concerned now with the future.¡±

    ¡°The future?¡±

    ¡°The Masters of the Mystic Arts are not as united as we may appear. There are many of us who are unhappy with the way the Ancient One pursues her agenda and we seek to forge our own path.¡±

    ¡°The Ancient One?¡± Steve asked.

    ¡°Not important.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like they might be important.¡±

    I made a small, frustrated noise in the back of my throat and turned to face my companion. ¡°Steve, look, this is an incredibly complicated situation and I wasn¡¯t prepared to have this conversation right now. I will fill you in when I can, but please let me deal with this for now.¡±

    He held my gaze for a few seconds before nodding. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I sighed, turning back to Kaecilius. ¡°Sorry about that. You were saying?¡±

    ¡°You came to Kamar-taj as a supplicant, seeking aid and knowledge, just as I once did. The Ancient One instead scorned and threatened you, and you were forced to flee.¡±

    I very pointedly did not look at Steve while he very pointedly did not ask more questions. ¡°Yes, I recall, I was there.¡±

    ¡°The Ancient One is still nursing her injuries from your battle and Kamar?taj is distracted. We will raid the monastery¡¯s library soon. If you join us, you can take your pick of whichever texts you desire. I know of several treatises on witchcraft that may be of particular interest to you.¡±

    I bit my lip. I could feel Steve looking at me at the mention of witchcraft, but Kaecilius¡¯s sudden schedule change was extremely concerning. He¡¯d moved up his plans because the Ancient One had gotten hurt and now it was happening too soon. I wasn¡¯t sure of the exact timeline, but I was fairly sure we were definitely ages away from when the events of Doctor Strange should be happening. ¡°That does sound tempting. You want something in return, I¡¯d imagine.¡±

    ¡°Only your support in the raid. We may encounter resistance and you have already proven quite skilled at evading sorcerous pursuit. After, I would also quite like the opportunity to discuss further collaboration. If you are interested in continuing to work together, we could forge a partnership that benefits us both.¡± The sorcerer held out his hands. ¡°The Ancient One is not what she professes to be. Join with me and together we will gain the power to destroy she who has betrayed us. She who has betrayed the world.¡±

    ¡°A compelling offer, however¡ª¡± I gestured, sending wisps of chaos magic toward Kaecilius before he could react. The sorcerer¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as they snaked around his wrists and ankles, twisting his arms behind his back, then a flick of my fingers jerked him upward. He floated in mid-air, a foot off the ground, bound hand and foot by threads of my power. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to decline.¡±

    ¡°Wanda?¡± There was a note of alarm in Steve¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop playing around,¡± I said, continuing to ignore Steve and stepping closer to Kaecilius. ¡°I know what your real plan is. I know about Dormammu, the Dark Dimension, everything.¡±

    There was a brief pause as the sorcerer processed this, then he nodded. ¡°I see. Then you know the truth. The Ancient One is a hypocrite. She hoards her knowledge and power.¡±

    ¡°She is. I don¡¯t know her specific reasons, but I know enough to trust her motives. I also know enough about Dormammu to know that I can¡¯t let you go ahead with what you plan to do.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t stop it. It¡¯s the end and the beginning. The many becoming the few becoming the One.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Steve interjected again, forehead creased with concern. ¡°Wanda, what is all this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I said, waving a hand dismissively. ¡°Just the mad ramblings of a broken man. Nothing worth listening to.¡±

    Kaecilius was undeterred, a feverish intensity lighting up his eyes that made me vaguely uncomfortable. ¡°All things age, all things die. In the end our sun burns out and our universe grows cold and perishes. But the Dark Dimension is a place beyond time. This world doesn¡¯t have to die. It can take its rightful place alongside so many others as part of the One. The great and beautiful One. We can all live forever. People think in terms of good and evil, but really, time is the true enemy of us all. Time kills everything.¡±

    ¡°Nice pitch, but I think the giant extra-dimensional demon that wants to destroy the world is actually the true enemy of us all.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t seek to destroy this world; we seek to save it. Dormammu will give to me the power to overthrow the Ancient One and tear her Sanctums down. To let the Dark Dimension in. Because what the Ancient One hoards, Dormammu gives freely. Life, everlasting. He¡¯s not the destroyer of worlds. He is the saviour of worlds.¡± The sorcerer turned his head as he monologued, fixing Steve with a steady gaze. ¡°The man out of time. You, more than anyone else, should understand. The world is not what it ought to be. Humanity longs for the eternal. For a world beyond time, because time is what enslaves us. Time is an insult. Death is an insult.¡±

    Reaching out, I retrieved Kaecilius¡¯s sling ring from his waist, then stepped back as I slipped it onto my fingers. ¡°Okay. I really wish this had played out differently, but you¡¯re not really leaving me with any other options here.¡±

    Gesturing, I conjured a small portal in the air next to me, only an inch or two across, and one of the vibranium spears that I¡¯d left behind in the hotel room in Albany dropped through it, haft-first. I caught it easily in an outstretched hand and dismissed the portal.

    ¡°Wanda.¡± Steve had stepped forward, almost but not quite interposing himself between Kaecilius and myself.

    ¡°Okay. So, this really wasn¡¯t something I was expecting to happen just yet, but we need to stop him.¡± I couldn¡¯t afford to let Kaecilius start his assault early¡ªin the original timeline, he¡¯d killed the Ancient One, successfully destroyed two of the Sanctums and would have destroyed the third if not for Dr Strange¡¯s intervention. Even then, he¡¯d still successfully breached reality and allowed the Dark Dimension to invade. If Strange wasn¡¯t around and I didn¡¯t do anything, Kaecilius would almost certainly win and the world would be destroyed.

    ¡°Stop him?¡± He eyed the spear in my hand. ¡°Or kill him?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s left me no choice. Kaecilius isn¡¯t someone we can just arrest and lock up. He can¡¯t be held conventionally. And the only place that might be able to contain him is hunting me as well, so I can¡¯t exactly go drop him off and explain the situation.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just let you murder an unarmed man. I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on.¡±

    I made a frustrated noise. ¡°If I don¡¯t, he¡¯s literally going to end the world. I¡¯ve seen it. I know what¡¯s going to happen.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean you¡¯ve seen it?¡±

    Fuck. Okay, I guess we¡¯re doing this now. ¡°This is what I meant when I said there were things that you wouldn¡¯t believe me about. I¡¯ve seen the future. The literal, actual future. It¡¯s why I abandoned HYDRA and why I didn¡¯t hand the sceptre over to you. It¡¯s why I know you¡¯re a good guy. It¡¯s how I knew about Bucky. This guy,¡± I tilted the spear in my hand toward Kaecilius, ¡°is just one of the massive, apocalyptic threats that are coming. They all get stopped in the end, but a lot of people die, Steve. Or worse. A lot of people that don¡¯t need to. What I¡¯ve done so far has already saved thousands of lives. Please let me save more.¡±

    Steve raised his free hand in a conciliatory gesture. ¡°Slow down, you¡¯re contradicting yourself. They all get stopped, right? He¡¯s not going to end the world. We can talk this through.¡±

    ¡°Butterflies.¡±

    ¡°Butterflies?¡±

    ¡°Ripples in time,¡± Kaecilius answered for me, sounding thoughtful. ¡°A small change is made and it impacts all around it. You injured the Ancient One, threw Kamar-taj into an uproar, and I brought forward my plans.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°You want to kill me because the proper order of events no longer aligns. Whatever circumstance is required to stop us is not currently present.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°See? He gets it.¡±

    ¡°Excellent.¡±

    I paused, my brain catching up with the conversation. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not what I¡ª¡±

    The window next to me exploded into the apartment in a shower of glass shards and splintering wood. Without thinking, I twisted to shield the front of my body, catching the worst of it across my back as I hit the ground. A combination of surprise and sudden pain made me drop my spear, its sharp head narrowly missing slicing down on the back of my other hand as I landed heavily on my hands and knees.

    There was a flurry of motion behind me as Steve exploded into action and I swore under my breath as I realised that I¡¯d lost concentration on Kaecilius¡¯s bindings as well. Now that I understood how, I really needed to get into the habit of tying off those effects so they could last for a while without my concentration. Problems for later.

    Freed, Kaecilius rushed me as I turned toward him, burning sorcerous energy spreading in concentric bands across his wrists. I pushed off the floor with one hand to move out of the way, my enhanced strength bringing me straight to my feet, but realised too late that I wasn¡¯t his target. Kaecilius sped past me, diving toward Bucky. I tried to quickly reverse my movement to catch him, but I was a moment too late. The sorcerer gestured and the red magic pinning Bucky to the wall dispersed. I slammed my fist into Kaecilius¡¯s ribs and he was sent skidding across the room to slam into the kitchen cabinets¡ªit was a solid hit, so hopefully I¡¯d broken something¡ªbut then a cold metal hand clamped down on my shoulder.

    I glanced back and saw Steve fending off the attacks of a pair of red-robed sorcerers. That explained the window. Of course Kaecilius hadn¡¯t come to meet us alone¡ªit was stupid of me not to think that he¡¯d have backup nearby. I let out an indignant yelp as the Winter Soldier hoisted me into the air one-handed. Without waiting to see what he was going to do next, I seized wildly at the magic bubbling up inside me and thrust my hands toward him in a burst of red energy. We went flying in opposite directions, my shoulder feeling almost like it was being wrenched out of its socket as he lost his grip on me.

    Landing heavily on Bucky¡¯s bed, I bounced off the mattress and then the wall. Rolling off, I landed on the floor on my hands and knees again, mildly disoriented from my own blast. A red-robed zealot tried to take advantage, lunging toward me with a blade formed of crystalline air. I rolled my body as I scrambled to my feet, narrowly avoiding a series of wild slashes. The sorcerer lunged toward me and I moved again, bringing a hand up to catch his wrist, stopping him cold. I let out a slightly delirious, involuntary laugh, then dashed him to the ground with a vicious backhand across the face. He didn¡¯t get back up¡ªpresumably either unconscious or with a snapped neck¡ªI didn¡¯t care which. It felt good to be this strong and this fast.

    Across from me, Steve knocked out another of the zealots using the edge of his shield as a bludgeon. We exchanged a glance and I flashed him a toothy smile, then looked over to where Kaecilius and the Winter Soldier had also recovered themselves.

    All four of us moved at the same time. Steve and Bucky dove at each other, vibranium shield deflecting metal forearm as they launched into another rapid-fire exchange of blows and counterblows. I gathered bolts of raw chaos magic in my hands and threw them toward Kaecilius, but he spun his hands in a rotating gesture that caused my magic to fizzle through a fractal, crystalline barrier that I recognised as a passage to the Mirror Dimension, conjured across the apartment in such a way that it blocked him and the front door off from the rest of us. The sorcerer smirked and turned toward the door. Frustrated, I noticed my spear lying on his side of the barrier and raised a hand toward it. Red energy flared up around the weapon and I thrust my hand toward the retreating back of the sorcerer.

    Kaecilius wrenched the door to the apartment open, the motion causing him to just barely twist out of the way of the spear as it perforated the wooden frame. A second later and he was out of sight, but I was already moving, ducking behind Steve and leaping out the hole in the wall where the window had been. Lashing out with chaos magic, I telekinetically grabbed the exterior wall of the building and pulled myself along it, dropping down onto Bucky¡¯s neighbour¡¯s balcony. I tore through the apartment at a dead sprint, smashing doors aside with curt gestures of my hand until I crashed out into the central stairwell. Bending almost double over the railing, I craned my neck, looking up and down, seeking my prey.

    Hearing something below me, I took a gamble and vaulted the rail, cushioning my fall with a downward thrust of magic that bounced me back into the level directly below where I¡¯d been standing. I was just in time to see Kaecilius smirking at me again as the portal he was escaping through closed.

    I grinned back wickedly, baring my teeth. He thought he¡¯d gotten away, but he didn¡¯t know I had a way of tracking people without using portals. I grabbed the pendant holding the Mind Stone in one hand, closed my eyes and focused on my target, fixing a mental picture of Kaecilius in my mind''s eye. Casting the stone¡¯s power out, I searched for him, looking for a spark in my perception that matched. When I didn¡¯t find anything in the first few seconds, I started to worry¡ªit had been incredibly easy when I¡¯d found Steve using this technique, why would Kaecilius be any more difficult?

    ¡­Unless the anti-portal wards were messing with it, or there were more powerful spells that a sorcerer could use to obfuscate their location, which of course there would be. I searched for a little bit longer, casting my senses out wider, trying to catch any hint of Kaecilius¡¯s location, but it seemed like he really had managed to give me the slip. Swearing under my breath again, I turned and ran back up the stairs to Bucky¡¯s apartment, hoping that Steve had managed to pull off a win after I¡¯d left.

    As I entered, I immediately dived at the ground, narrowly avoiding being seriously inconvenienced by Captain America¡¯s shield as it ricocheted out the open doorway. I rolled back to my feet as Bucky kicked one of Steve¡¯s legs out from under him then caught him with a heavy blow to the face with his metal fist. Steve went down, staggered, and the Winter Soldier bore down on him.

    Without thinking, I flung myself forward and tackled him around the waist. My blood was up and, despite the frustration of Kaecilius escaping, I was actually enjoying getting the chance to exercise my new physical enhancements. Despite the severe difference in weight class, my new strength was enough to take his feet out from under him and we rolled across the floorboards, each struggling to assert control. I managed to get my leg over his and pinned him to the ground, straddling his waist.

    Bucky¡¯s metal arm came up to smash me across the face, but I caught his wrist with a fistful of chaos magic, slamming it back down to the ground hard enough to splinter the wooden floorboards. At the same time, my free hand snaked up to palm his face, sending tendrils of chaos magic spearing into his mind. I clenched my eyes shut and leaned forward into him as his irises flashed red, pressing my forehead against his temple. ¡°Stop,¡± I hissed in his ear and his entire body slackened as I submerged myself in his mind.

    I threw myself into him, his mindscape swiftly resolving into the same maze of passageways as before. This time, the omnipresent diffuse glow was gone and the facility was lit solely by the red emergency lights that lined the walls. The loudspeakers were still crackling, Russian trigger words spoken in an endless litany as I stormed down the corridor, flinging my hand left and right to systematically wrench open each door to glance inside as I strode past it. Wisps of chaos magic penetrated the locks, finessing the mechanisms.

    It didn¡¯t take me long to find the Winter Soldier, or perhaps my lack of subtlety this time allowed him to find me. He raised what looked like an AK-47 as we saw each other, but I didn¡¯t stop, continuing toward him as I threw up a corridor-wide shield with a wave of my hand to deflect the hail of bullets. He backpedalled as he continued to fire, the sound of spent bullet casings ringing across the concrete floor almost as loud as the retort of the gun.

    Reaching out with telekinetic red energy, I wrenched the weapon from his hands then clenched my fist¡ªcrushing it in midair¡ªbefore letting the ruined thing fall to the ground. He turned to retreat but I snagged him next, a web of magic hoisting him in the air.

    ¡°Alright, so, how do I get this place back to normal?¡± I asked conversationally, not really expecting a response. The Winter Soldier remained predictably silent, choosing to glower at me malevolently. I looked up at the loudspeaker mounted on the wall nearest to me, taking note of the series of cables running from it to the next further down the hall. ¡°That has to be coming from somewhere, right?¡±

    I flexed my fingers and red wisps of energy retrieved the Winter Soldier¡¯s oversized combat knife from its holster. Several slashing motions later and I¡¯d severed the loudspeaker from the network and was listening carefully. There was a gap to one side, now¡ªan area where the Russian words were no longer being broadcast. I turned and headed in the opposite direction, carrying the Winter Soldier through the air in front of me as I followed the cables.

    It didn¡¯t take long. If I had to speculate, I would guess that the layout of the mindscape wasn¡¯t fixed. If I¡¯d just wandered at random, I could have done so almost forever, but having a specific goal in mind, and deliberately moving toward it, meant the corridors would resolve in such a manner that I¡¯d get to where I was going.

    The room I found was split into separate halves by a thin wall inset with a simple door and large, one-way mirror. One half contained a device that looked a bit like a giant metal test tube, mounted on the wall in such a way that it loomed over a semi-upright operating table surrounded by a variety of unpleasant-looking surgical instruments and medical apparatuses. The other half was an observation room of some kind, with the cables from the loudspeaker system leading directly to a workstation topped with a condenser microphone on a metal stand. It was empty, despite the fact that the words were still being broadcast over the system.

    I stepped up to the workstation, not quite sure what to do. The microphone was plugged into an oversized, boxy audio interface system, with a bunch of lights, dials and switches on it. I had a lot of options here, but it would probably be best to start simple and work my way up. Reaching down, I unplugged the microphone.

    The effect was immediate, with the loudspeakers crackling one last time before falling silent. The emergency lighting was still on, everything around cast in a hellish red light. I ¡®hmm¡¯ed to myself, looking around the room for a moment before my eyes fell on a suspicious-looking lever switch mounted on the wall next to a warning sign marked with an exclamation mark. I flipped the switch and the air flickered, emergency lights turning off and plunging us into darkness for a moment before the omnipresent diffuse light I¡¯d originally been greeted with the first time I was here returned.

    I carried the Winter Soldier back into the other half of the room, floating him over to the operating table. He started struggling as I laid him out on it, but I was capable of restraining far stronger foes than him and kept him steady with ease. A flick of my fingers sent a series of leather straps weaving around his limbs, securing him in place, but I did not release my hold on him.

    Instead, I focused and started peeling away layers of magic, tightening and refining the bindings into something that could still hold him, but required much less power than the brute, overwhelming force I¡¯d initially applied. This was something I needed to practice if I wanted to create more ongoing enchantments¡ªI needed to weave my magic into power-efficient forms that used the minimum amount of energy that the effect I wanted required, rather than just blasting something with brute force and calling it a day.

    Several long minutes passed and when I was satisfied, I tied off the magic, mirroring the way Mordo had secured the wards on Pietro and I. Next time I was with Pietro, I¡¯d need to take a closer look at the battery enchantment so I could replicate it properly. In the interim, this one would sustain itself on Bucky¡¯s lifeforce. According to what Mordo had said, it wasn¡¯t too dangerous to set something up like this unless I left it on him without feeding it magic for a long time. In the meantime, he¡¯d feel fatigued and tire more easily, but I figured that that was fine for the short-term.

    ¡°Comfortable?¡± I asked sweetly. The Winter Soldier glared furiously but impotently at me in response. ¡°Good. Now, don¡¯t go anywhere, okay?¡± I gestured, red wisps infiltrating the mechanisms of the giant metal tube device and pulling it down, sealing him inside. There was a narrow glass window in the metal, letting him see out, but it otherwise seemed pretty secure on its own. I didn¡¯t know what it represented, exactly, but I figured that it and the straps couldn¡¯t hurt as additional precautions. I took one last look around, then took a deep breath and returned to my body, opening my eyes.

    I carefully straightened up, releasing my grip on Bucky¡¯s face and sitting back. He blinked and looked around, seemingly a little disoriented. ¡°You good?¡± I asked tentatively.

    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. I think so.¡±

    ¡°Bucky?¡± Steve was kneeling on the floor next to us, watching his friend intently.

    ¡°It¡¯s me. I¡¯m not¡­ whatever she did worked. I think.¡±

    Steve visibly relaxed, a massive amount of tension leaving his shoulders. He looked at me and nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    I looked around. ¡°Kaecilius¡¯s friends?¡±

    ¡°They got away. Portals.¡±

    Of course. Suddenly, Bucky yanked his hand away from me like he¡¯d touched a hot stove. Looking down, I realised that my dress had ripped and ridden up during our struggle, and up until a second ago his hand had been resting on my upper thigh. I picked at the hem of my dress in a mildly unsuccessful attempt to pull it down and cover my exposed underwear. Note to self: bike pants were probably more sensible if I¡¯m going to keep wearing dresses in fights.

    Glancing back at Bucky, I could see in real-time as he realised that I was still straddling him. ¡°¡­you gonna move?¡± he asked awkwardly.

    I smirked. ¡°I dunno,¡± I said, wiggling slightly. ¡°I¡¯m pretty comfortable, actually.¡±

    His hands immediately clamped down on my hips to stop the motion, then pushed upwards, gently but insistently, his cheeks colouring. I pouted but cooperated¡ªcatching a glimpse of Steve out of the corner of my eye, shaking his head¡ªand clambered to my feet. Sparing a brief second to straighten my dress a bit more, I offered Bucky a hand. He hesitated for a brief moment before taking it and letting me help him up.

    The three of us looked at each other awkwardly for a few moments before Steve broke the silence. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s¡­ reassess. Buck, how are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± the other man said, then looked at me. ¡°Did you¡­?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the Winter Soldier isn¡¯t coming back anytime soon. I¡¯ll need to go back in a bit later on to tidy some stuff up and make sure it¡¯s all secure, but you should be good.¡±

    His eyes dropped to the ground. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to. Like I said, I wanted to help.¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s right,¡± said Steve firmly. ¡°You put yourself at risk here, more than once. I won¡¯t forget it. You said there are things you wanted to tell me, but it could backfire if I didn¡¯t believe you? I think you¡¯ve earned yourself the benefit of the doubt.¡±

    I closed my eyes, unable to stop the relieved sigh and smile. ¡°Okay. Good. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°When I get back, I¡¯ll talk to the rest of the team. The offer¡¯s open for you and your brother to come too, if you want. No strings, no pressure. You can leave anytime you want.¡±

    I bit my lip. Pietro was going to be pissed, but I couldn¡¯t turn this down. It was too important. I¡¯d finally found a way to get the Avengers on-side and I might need their help to stop Kaecilius. Not only that, but I could start making actual headway against Thanos and the other long-term threats.

    ¡°That sounds great. I¡¯ll talk to Pietro. But¡­¡± I sighed, a heavy weight settling in my stomach. ¡°Kaecilius is moving now. I might be able to stop him before he can get started. I need to go to Kamar-taj.¡±

 Chapter 17

    Steve frowned. ¡°Kaecilius said that Kamar-taj¡ªthis Ancient One person¡ªattacked you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but she¡¯s a good guy. She just¡­ has opinions about me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± said Bucky abruptly, glancing toward Steve, who nodded back at him. ¡°It¡¯s the least we can do.¡±

    I nodded gratefully, looking around. Kaecilius¡¯s sling ring had slipped off my hand at some point during the fight, but didn¡¯t seem to be lying on the floor anywhere. The zealots must have grabbed it when they retrieved their fellows. That was a bit disappointing¡ªlosing my ring would be absolutely devastating, so I¡¯d hoped to snag a backup. Stepping over to where my jacket lay on the floor, I picked it up and slipped it back on before rifling through the pockets. Steve side-eyed the ring as I put it on, but said nothing.

    Holding out a hand, I sent searching tendrils of red magic out of the apartment and into the central stairwell. A few moments later, Captain America¡¯s shield and my vibranium spear floated back through the open door toward us. Steve plucked his shield out of the air with a nod of thanks, but I left the spear hovering in the air just behind me.

    ¡°Give me a moment,¡± I said, touching the pendant at my neck and closing my eyes.

    Fixing Pietro in my mind, I called on the power of the Mind Stone to find him. Several seconds crawled by without me finding a spark matching his and, after what had just happened with Kaecilius, I began to worry that I¡¯d somehow lost my ability to find people with the Stone completely. I concentrated, focusing in on my mental picture of Pietro and shoring it up with whatever I could. I thought about our relationship, the way we looked out for each other, even the guilt that I felt at lying to him¡ªeverything that connected us.

    A thin thread came into focus in my perception, leading away from me, and I followed it. It led me to a tiny ember, barely noticeable against the mental background noise of the world, and I reached toward it hesitantly. There was a moment¡¯s resistance before it flared up brightly in my perception, as though I¡¯d moved past a barrier that was keeping it hidden. This was completely different to when I¡¯d reached out to Steve.

    I wasn¡¯t one hundred percent sure, but from context it seemed like the sorcerers¡¯ anti-portal wards did also obscure them from other methods of scrying, like the Mind Stone¡ªno additional spells required. If I hadn¡¯t had that thread of connection with Pietro¡­ huh. Was that the missing element that had prevented me from reaching out across space? If I had a connection to trace¡­ Questions for later.

    I pushed myself toward Pietro, projecting myself to his location, took a quick look around to get a good mental image, then retreated back to my body and opened my eyes. Recalling the place I¡¯d just been, I fed magic into my sling ring and gestured.

    Music spilled forth from the portal as I summoned it, followed closely by a series of shouts and exclamations. On the other side, Pietro had leapt to his feet from a stool in front of a long bar, behind which stood an attractive younger woman with blonde hair and heavily tanned skin, her mouth hanging open in surprise. Pietro turned back to her and said something I missed, then stepped through the gateway. I closed it behind him and he looked around, shoulders instantly tensing and his body falling into a ready stance when he noticed I wasn¡¯t alone. Steve held up his hands nonthreateningly, and Bucky hesitantly raised a hand in a partial wave.

    ¡°Wanda? What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Uh, hey. Everything¡¯s fine. Yes, that is Captain America, but he¡¯s cool. We¡¯re all cool,¡± I looked at him, gauging his condition. ¡°You¡¯ve been drinking?¡± He didn¡¯t seem unsteady at all, so he probably wasn¡¯t drunk, but still, I¡¯d have preferred him completely sober for this.

    ¡°I had a couple,¡± he said defensively. ¡°You said we were safe for a while.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know. It¡¯s fine. Look, we need to go to Kamar-taj. Kaecilius paid me a visit¡ªthat orb he gave me was some kind of tracker. He¡¯s moved up his plans and we need to warn them.¡±

    ¡°After they attacked us? Why? Let them deal with it themselves.¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not keen on it either but I told you what Kaecilius¡¯s thing was, right? It¡¯s happening too early. If he moves now, I think he¡¯ll win unless we do something.¡±

    Pietro didn¡¯t look completely convinced. He looked over at Bucky, his gaze lingering on the man¡¯s metal arm. ¡°Who¡¯s this guy?¡±

    ¡°Bucky. Captain America¡¯s best friend from back in the day. HYDRA had him, turned him into a super soldier super assassin. He was¡­ brainwashed? Hypnotised? I dunno how to describe it. I¡¯m managing it for him. It¡¯s complicated.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not complicated at all. Your sister¡¯s helping me,¡± Bucky said. ¡°I want to help her back. Both of us do.¡±

    ¡°Wanda hasn¡¯t explained everything just yet, but we do need to move,¡± Steve said, then looked at me. ¡°Kaecilius said he was planning a raid, and if he thinks you¡¯ll try to stop him he¡¯ll move quickly.¡±

    Pietro stared at them for a moment, then grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me over to the far side of the room. ¡°You went to the Avengers behind my back?¡± he whispered accusingly¡ªnot actually quiet enough to not be heard, but Steve and Bucky very politely pretended to be paying attention to literally anything else.

    ¡°No, I¡­ yes.¡±

    ¡°Unbelievable. We¡¯re supposed to be a team. How am I supposed to look out for you if you do this the second I turn my back?¡±

    ¡°Your breath smells like beer.¡±

    ¡°Be serious.¡±

    ¡°Fine, but we really do need to go like¡­ now. You can yell at me later. Stop embarrassing me in front of the super soldiers.¡±

    Pietro let out a huff of annoyance. ¡°Fine, but I will be yelling at you later.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡± I turned back to the room¡¯s other occupants. ¡°Are you two ready to go?¡±

    Bucky stepped forward, kneeling down, then punched the floorboards with his metal arm. His fist smashed straight through the flimsy wood and when he pulled out his hand it was holding a slim go bag. ¡°Ready,¡± he affirmed. Steve just nodded.

    Letting out a long sigh, I considered our destination for a moment. Opening a portal to Kathmandu, outside of the monastery proper, and knocking on the front door was least likely to put the sorcerers¡¯ noses out of joint, but would take longer and distract attention away from the library until we could get in, if they¡¯d even let us inside. The main courtyard, I decided, under the ancient tree growing in the corner. I focused and spun up a portal.

    Bucky was closest to the mystical gateway and he visibly hesitated for a moment before stepping through, being careful to avoid the simmering red edges of the hole in space. As he moved, I realised I could tie off a portal the same way I had other effects and went ahead and did so. Huh. My mind went back to New Delhi, to the moment when Black Widow had almost inadvertently decapitated me with my own closing portal. Yeah, tying it off until we were done with it was much safer than what I¡¯d been doing so far. Hazards of being self-taught. I wondered if Kamar-taj had safety lectures about proper positioning and use of portals.

    Steve followed closely behind Bucky, then Pietro shot me another annoyed look before heading after them. Finally, I stepped through and unravelled the portal, letting it close safely behind me. The sky above Kamar-taj was dark, the edges of the monastery courtyard lit by burnished lamps. A pair of acolytes in sleeveless red robes on the opposite side, a man and a woman, were looking over at us curiously.

    I hesitated, trying to decide how to proceed, as everyone looked to me for guidance. Pietro started to speak, ¡°Where do we go? Do we just¡ª¡±

    He was cut off as a bell began to ring, harsh and desperate¡ªan alarm of some kind. I sighed. Of course. The two acolytes across the courtyard perked up in surprise for a moment, then jogged out into the middle of the space, looking around. A few moments later, they were joined by several other sorcerers, hurriedly making their way out from the cluster of buildings into the central area as the bell continued to ring. We were shot a few inquisitive looks, but no one seemed overly focused on us, which was surprising.

    It wasn¡¯t until a sorcerer I vaguely recognised, a severe-looking Asian woman, bustled out of the entrance we were standing near that anyone really reacted to our presence. She did a double-take as she started past us, recoiling and hissing under her breath as she wove a pair of burning defensive mandalas. The reaction from the gathered crowd was almost immediate¡ªas she fell into a tense martial stance others noticed and did the same, some conjuring eldritch whips, others readying staffs and other weapons.

    My group mirrored the action. Steve moved slightly in front, shield raised protectively, and Bucky narrowed his profile, flexing his metal arm. I conjured wisps of red chaos magic around my hands, the spear hovering behind me lifting slightly, ready to lash out if I needed it to. Pietro was up on the balls of his feet, leaning forward slightly as he prepared to move.

    Dawning looks of realisation and recognition flitted across some of the sorcerers¡¯ faces as they fanned out in a rough semi-circle around us, muttered questions and whispers spreading through the group. I caught a fragment of a sentence ¡°¡­attacked the Ancient One¡­¡± from one nearest to me and rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Stand down!¡± A familiar voice rang out across the courtyard and the crowd of sorcerers parted as Mordo swept through them toward us. He was wearing a thin cotton tunic rather than his full set of elaborate robes and held his relic staff loosely at the ready. An angry frown creased his face as he strode up to us, but he didn¡¯t immediately attack, which was nice at least. ¡°You. What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Kaecilius has betrayed you, he¡ª¡±

    ¡°We know,¡± he interrupted.

    I paused for a moment, nonplussed. ¡°¡­you know?¡±

    ¡°Suspected,¡± he amended, scowling. Looking around, he sliced his arm through the air in a silencing gesture and the other sorcerers reluctantly lowered their weapons. ¡°The library was attacked. The Ancient One, Master Kaecilius, and others are missing.¡±

    ¡°Oh. The alarm wasn¡¯t because of us?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± The sorcerer eyed me, his brow furrowed, weighing something up in his mind for a moment before coming to a decision. ¡°You¡¯re here because you want to help. Foolish and reckless, but admirable nonetheless.¡± He exhaled sharply, halfway between a sigh and a huff of annoyance. ¡°Fine. Come with me.¡±

    He led us back through the parted crowd toward one of the main buildings, speaking to several of the gathered sorcerers in low tones as we walked. I ignored the dark looks that several of the robed practitioners shot us as we passed them, and we soon found ourselves in the monastery¡¯s library. Dark, intricately carved wooden shelves held row after row of books and furled scrolls¡ªmost of the tomes were ancient-looking, with spines weathered by time and use, but there were a few newer-looking texts that jumped out at me as my eyes scanned the shelves. The space was much darker than a modern library would be, lit with a scattered assortment of lamps that gave it a warm, secretive atmosphere.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    We passed through the main stacks and Mordo led us down a side passage toward an open doorway where a large man in dark red robes, his head shaved, stood seemingly on guard. My face lit up as I recognised him. ¡°Wongers! I was wondering when I¡¯d see you.¡± Wong blinked at the greeting and Mordo paused, his forehead creasing slightly. Pietro shot me an odd look. ¡°What? Everyone loves Wong.¡±

    Wong cleared his throat and exchanged a significant glance with Mordo before nodding and letting us proceed, falling into step a pace behind the other man. The two of them led us into a room lined with books bound to hexagonal frameworks and I faltered slightly as a familiar coppery tang hit my nose. A headless corpse lay splayed on the tiles, a wide pool of blood leaking from the stump of its neck. I looked away from it, gorge slightly rising in my throat, the phantom sound of soggy meat squelching as it hit the ground in my ears.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Steve asked.

    ¡°It seems like you might be able to answer that question better than I can,¡± Mordo said, tempering his tone.

    Aware of several sets of eyes on me, I slowly walked forward, trying not to look directly at the body of the unfortunate librarian. I replayed the scene at the beginning of Doctor Strange when Kaecilius had killed him in my mind¡ªit looked like something similar had happened here, not very long ago at all. The zealots must have come here pretty much directly after fleeing Bucharest. If I¡¯d been a bit quicker¡ªif I hadn¡¯t had to spend time reining in the Winter Soldier, if I hadn¡¯t dicked around talking to Pietro¡ªwould we have arrived in time to save him? I didn¡¯t know his name. Was he even named in the movie? Or was he just ¡®Kamar-taj Librarian¡¯? Would it be weird if I asked what his name was?

    At the far end, I could see that the room opened up into an older-looking stone chamber. In the centre of it was a pedestal with a bronze amulet perched on it¡ªthe Eye of Agamotto¡ªsurrounded by three doors emblazoned with mystic sigils, leading to the sorcerers¡¯ Sanctums around the world. My eyes focused on a book lying discarded on the floor nearby, a faint orange energy glimmering in the circular design on the cover. I stooped down and picked it up, my finger idly tracing the edge of the sorcerous sigil. I didn¡¯t need to open the tome to know that several pages had been torn from it.

    A portal sparked into existence at the far end of the room, in front of the Eye¡¯s pedestal, and the Ancient One stepped through, golden hood lowered over her head. One long sleeve hung loose, and I could see her hand poking out of the middle of her robe, held braced against her body in a black, padded sling.

    Mordo started to say something but was silenced by a shake of her head. The Sorcerer Supreme took in our presence for a few moments, then reached up with her free hand and pulled back her hood as she stepped toward us. ¡°You¡¯ve returned.¡± It was a simple statement, but her tone was frustrated.

    ¡°Uh, yeah. We came to warn you that Kaecilius was betraying you and going to raid your library,¡± I said lamely.

    She nodded and gestured behind me, toward the body. ¡°The sentiment is appreciated, though comes perhaps a bit too late for Master Khan.¡±

    A tense silence stretched between us for a few moments before Steve stepped forward. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m Captain Steve Rogers. I know you¡¯ve had some issues with Wanda in the past but we¡¯re hoping you can see past them and let us help deal with the current situation.¡±

    ¡°Captain Rogers,¡± she said, inclined her head in acknowledgement. ¡°While your offer is appreciated, there is nothing that you are capable of aiding us with, nor do you truly understand the nature of the person who has brought you here.¡±

    ¡°With respect, ma¡¯am, I think I might have a better understanding of Wanda than you do.¡±

    The Ancient One exhaled sharply through her nose and took several more steps toward me. I felt myself reflexively start to back away and suppressed the instinct, keeping myself firm in the face of her advance. Approaching close enough that she could reach out and touch me if she tried, the sorcerer peered into my eyes, head tilted to one side questioningly. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Pietro was beside me suddenly. ¡°You know who she is,¡± he said challengingly. ¡°You knew who we were when we first came here.¡±

    ¡°Pietro¡­¡± Her tone softened slightly as she glanced at him. ¡°She isn¡¯t what you think. She¡ª¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± I said in a small voice.

    She paused, assessing, then looked back at me. ¡°Are you Wanda Maximoff?¡±

    I blinked, the question taking me slightly off-guard. ¡°What?¡±

    The Ancient One continued to stare at me, her bright green eyes seeming to bore into my soul. ¡°When we first met, I was certain that you weren¡¯t. But I¡¯ve seen your soul in astral form and, if you¡¯re not, you¡¯re doing a flawless impersonation of her.¡±

    I started to speak, but stopped when I realised that I had no idea what to say to that. That was¡­ huh. I hadn¡¯t been sure that my astral form was the same thing as my ¡®soul¡¯, but the Ancient One¡¯s words seemed to definitively confirm that that was the case. But that didn¡¯t make any sense, did it? I wasn¡¯t Wanda, I was someone else. I had memories from my original life. I remembered growing up, my old family, my home, my job.

    But I never really thought about them anymore, did I? Why not? I had a pet cat. A sister. Parents. Why didn¡¯t I miss them? I didn¡¯t really feel any connection to my old name¡­ these days, I just thought of myself as Wanda. I looked down, flexing my fingers in front of me. It didn¡¯t feel like I was in someone else¡¯s body. It just felt like mine.

    ¡°¡­what are you talking about?¡± Pietro asked as I went internal, his annoyance now tinged with a hint of trepidation.

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe you¡¯re her, at least. Or you didn¡¯t back then.¡± The sorcerer prompted me but I didn¡¯t respond¡ªstill thinking, still not really sure what to say. ¡°You believe you¡¯re from elsewhere, a stray from another universe. That explanation fits with the sheer damage you¡¯ve done but, even if it is true, I don''t know where you''re from or how you got here. Last time we met, you said that you wanted to help people¡ªto make things better. You understand why I can¡¯t just take you at your word on that?¡± She paused again as I shot a furtive glance at Pietro. He was looking at me, a perturbed expression on his face. ¡°All I can do is observe what you¡¯ve done. Intended or not, you are the reason that Kaecilius has chosen this moment to act, among many other things. You¡¯ve done immeasurable damage in an incredibly short amount of time.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, you can¡¯t blame her for that,¡± Steve interjected. ¡°The man was already planning on betraying you.¡±

    ¡°And would have done so at a time and place when a plan was in place to stop him,¡± she snapped back at him, frustration blooming into outright anger, her tone hard and clipped. ¡°I have spent centuries cultivating a single thread of possibility through an incomprehensibly narrow needle. Your presence tore down all my work in a matter of days. You have no understanding of how far-reaching the consequences of your actions have been.¡±

    ¡°You knew about Kaecilius?¡± Mordo spoke up, his forehead creasing for a moment before his eyes widened in understanding. ¡°The Eye.¡±

    ¡°And you didn¡¯t do anything about it?¡± Bucky asked.

    ¡°Attempting to deal with Kaecilius too soon would have had disastrous consequences.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Steve sounded puzzled as he glanced toward me. ¡°You¡¯re talking like you¡¯ve seen the future. Wanda said that she¡¯s seen it as well.¡±

    The Ancient One paused for a moment, weighing her words, then sighed. ¡°I view possibilities and tilt the scales toward favourable outcomes, interceding where necessary to ensure that the world continues on. The whole of the future cannot be seen; the branches of probability are too numerous. Whatever Wanda believes she saw, it was a possible future, not the future.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I muttered, only half paying attention. ¡°The Eye of Agamotto has limitations.¡±

    ¡°And you don¡¯t? Tell me, then, did you foresee how our initial meeting would go? Did you know that Kaecilius would shift his schedule in response to your actions?¡±

    ¡°¡­touch¨¦.¡±

    ¡°You appearing at Kamar-taj was never among the possibilities I had seen, not in all the times I had used the Eye. Then I looked through it the day before you arrived and the carefully balanced future I had tilted probability toward was gone completely. Billions, trillions of new possibilities were in its place, and each day I looked ahead the complexity compounded exponentially. You are a massively chaotic element and I¡¯ve had no time to sift through everything. It would take weeks to scratch the surface. When we first met, I¡¯d had less than a day to work with and your presence had already had several extremely dangerous consequences that demanded my attention.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. It was all I could say, really. No wonder she¡¯d just wanted me gone.

    ¡°If I had the time to do so, I would spend the next few months sequestered with the Eye, but I do not have that luxury. There are other matters I must attend to, thanks to you. Things more dangerous in the immediate than Kaecilius.¡±

    ¡°We could help, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°You have already done enough. Why can¡¯t you see that?¡±

    Steve stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. ¡°If you¡¯re busy with other things, maybe we can at least help with Kaecilius. What did he take from the library?¡±

    I hefted the book in my hand. ¡°He tore out a handful of pages from this. That¡¯s all, I think.¡±

    ¡°The Book of Cagliostro¡­¡± Mordo said, concern evident in his voice. ¡°A study of time. That is an extremely advanced text, beyond the skill of any current Master bar the Ancient One to properly understand.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t even take the whole thing?¡± Bucky asked.

    ¡°He was after something in particular. A ritual,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°¡­like a magic ritual?¡±

    I turned my head and shot him a slightly annoyed look. ¡°Buck, look, I know this is a lot to take in, but this is an ancient monastery full of sorcerers. Yes, a magic ritual.¡±

    ¡°What does the ritual do?¡± Steve pushed gently.

    ¡°It¡¯ll let him contact an entity from another dimension and bargain for some of its power.¡± I looked toward Mordo and Wong. ¡°Dormammu. He¡¯ll grant him the power to fold space and matter.¡±

    Both sorcerers reacted as I said the name, straightening up, eyes wide. Mordo let out a hiss of alarm. ¡°Insanity. He would dare?¡±

    ¡°Folding space?¡± the Ancient One asked sharply. ¡°Outside of the Mirror Dimension, in the real world?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes. So can we focus on the real problem here?¡±

    She stared at me for a moment before sighing. ¡°What would you propose?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°Um. We¡¯ve got some time. It was months before Kaecilius made another move after stealing the ritual in the timeline I saw.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll need time to decipher and properly understand the ritual before he attempts it.¡±

    Steve glanced between the two of us. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s something. How can we find him?¡±

    It was my turn to sigh. ¡°Steve,¡± I said patiently. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re getting the scope of what we¡¯re dealing with here. This morning you stepped from New York to Australia, from Australia to Romania, and from there to Nepal. How do you find someone capable of that, if they don¡¯t want to be found? They can create portals anywhere in the world. Honestly, I have no idea where we¡¯d even start looking.¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± the Ancient One said, shaking her head. ¡°This does not concern you, captain. We will wait and we will prepare. Kaecilius and his zealots are warded and cannot be located, and will stay that way until they are ready to act. Kamar?taj will be ready for them when they do.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll attack the Sanctums,¡± I offered. ¡°His goal will be to destroy the barrier they create so that Dormammu can invade.¡±

    Mordo made another strangled sound. ¡°That¡¯s his goal? He¡¯s a madman.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s delusional. Broken. He thinks that the timelessness of the Dark Dimension, the twisted immortality that it will bring, is worth the cost of surrendering everything to Dormammu.¡±

    ¡°¡®Life everlasting, for all mankind¡¯. That¡¯s what he said.¡± Steve quoted. ¡°Ma¡¯am, please. We can help.¡±

    The Ancient One smiled tightly, a degree of annoyance still evident in her tone. ¡°As I¡¯ve already said: no, you can¡¯t. I appreciate the offer, but this is not a problem the Avengers can deal with.¡± She turned to me and held out her hand expectantly. It took an embarrassingly long second to realise that I was still holding the Book of Cagliostro before I hastily returned it to her.

    Bucky grunted. ¡°So what, we came here for nothing?¡±

    ¡°I told you we shouldn¡¯t have bothered,¡± Pietro muttered, still staring at me. It was hard to meet his gaze.

    ¡°Not nothing.¡± The Ancient One looked at me. ¡°Wanda¡­ please. Before anything else goes wrong.¡±

    I set my jaw. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Wanda¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you going to try to stop me from leaving?¡±

    ¡°Will you truly make me?¡± she asked softly.

    I looked around. Mordo and Wong hadn¡¯t made any sudden moves in response to the challenge, but I could see them leaning back slightly, ready to drop into combat stances at a moment¡¯s notice. I wasn¡¯t the only one that noticed, either¡ªSteve was playing it cool, but Bucky and Pietro had visibly tensed up as well. Closing my eyes for a moment, I took a deep breath, trying to calm the spike of panic that had risen in my stomach. We¡¯d win if it came to a fight, I felt pretty confident, but I couldn¡¯t keep doing this again and again.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to make you do anything. I¡¯ll ask you to bend the rules for me. Compromise,¡± I said, turning back to the Ancient One. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the first time. I can provide examples. Maybe you¡¯d like to discuss some of the other choices you¡¯ve made, right now, in front of everyone.¡± It was a bluff. Outing her dealings with Dormammu right now would completely undermine her and weaken Kamar-taj right when it needed to be strongest. I wouldn¡¯t actually do it. I couldn¡¯t, not with the world on the line¡­ but she didn¡¯t know that.

    There was a moment of silence as she held my gaze. ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake,¡± she said finally. She almost sounded sad.

    ¡°Maybe. But it¡¯s mine to make.¡± I glanced at Steve. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Mordo took a step toward me as I made to leave, but the Ancient One held out a hand to stop him. ¡°We have other, more pressing matters to attend to,¡± she told him before her eyes flicked back to me. ¡°This is not over.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I said, turning away from her.

 Chapter 18

    As we stepped through the portal from the tense quietude of Kamar-taj¡¯s library, the clamour of New York City hit us like a wall, crowding our senses. Our group filed through onto the sidewalk, drawing startled exclamations and comments from a handful of bystanders. I blinked in the sudden daylight, looking up at the forest of skyscrapers. Avengers Tower stood tall and proud directly across the road from where we were.

    A couple of pedestrians had stopped to snap pictures or film us with their phones, and I smiled a little self-consciously as I gestured and dismissed the gateway. It was weird. I¡¯d spent a few weeks in New York once in my old life and had loved it¡­ hadn¡¯t I? I faltered slightly as I thought about it, going internal again.

    ¡°Wanda? Are you okay?¡±

    I jerked my head up with a start as Steve touched my shoulder. ¡°Uh, yeah. I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°We need to talk,¡± Pietro said abruptly, stepping in front of me. His tone was firm¡ªhe wasn¡¯t going to let me put this off. ¡°Not here.¡±

    I nodded, avoiding his eyes, and glanced back at our two super soldier companions. ¡°Sorry about this. Can you give us a few minutes? We¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Steve said, nodding.

    I wove another portal, wisps of red chaos magic boiling off its edges, which elicited yet another round of gasps and murmured comments from onlookers, and Pietro and I stepped back into our hotel room in Albany. The vibranium spear that had been following me floated over to join its fellows in a bundle against the wall as I took a deep breath and let the portal close, bracing myself for the conversation to come.

    ¡°The Ancient One said¡­ she said you don¡¯t believe you¡¯re Wanda.¡± He was trying to keep his tone flat and even, but I could hear the tension in it.

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± I hedged, my voice laced with guilt. How was I even going to begin to unpack this? Did I open with the fact that I had an entire lifetime of other memories floating around in my head? I wasn¡¯t even sure what was happening anymore. I¡¯d seen Wanda in the Ancestral Plane, hadn¡¯t I? That meant she was dead. But the Ancient One had said¡­

    ¡°She said your soul¡­¡± Pietro mirrored my thought and trailed off. ¡°You are Wanda. Aren¡¯t you?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if he was genuinely asking or trying to convince himself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Didn¡¯t think so.¡± I reached up with a hand, touching my forehead briefly before taking another deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have these other memories, of another life, but they¡¯re not¡­ I feel disconnected from them. I¡¯m not really sure of anything anymore.¡±

    He stared at me for a few seconds, an unreadable expression on his face. Was he running back through every conversation we¡¯d ever had? Trying to recognise his sister somewhere in the interactions we¡¯d shared? ¡°When we got our powers,¡± he started slowly. ¡°I didn¡¯t understand what was happening to me. I couldn¡¯t control it. I was scared. You helped me.¡±

    ¡°I needed you. I was alone, you were the only one I¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he cut me off sharply, frustration and anguish leaking into his voice. ¡°You weren¡¯t just¡­ you weren¡¯t. You looked after me. You fed me. You stroked my hair like mama used to. You weren¡¯t just¡­ some stranger. You were my sister.¡±

    I could feel my face growing hot, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. Pietro had been in a dark place when he¡¯d first gotten his superspeed. He¡¯d been unable to turn it off and on at first, and his lack of control meant he could barely move without accidentally hurling himself into a wall. He couldn¡¯t even eat on his own. I wiped at my eyes with the back of my hand, trying to will myself not to cry. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t remember anything?¡±

    ¡°I just said¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not that,¡± he interrupted again, anger and a touch of desperation in his tone. ¡°From before the sceptre. You don¡¯t remember us? You don¡¯t remember our parents?¡±

    ¡°¡­no. You already know that I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What were their names?¡±

    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t know. I never knew.¡±

    Suddenly, Pietro took a step forward, hands roughly gripping my shoulders. I froze, eyes wide, my chest tightening as he stuck his face close to mine, forcing me to look at him while he spoke. ¡°In New Delhi, the things you said, it was like you remembered when they died. When we were trapped,¡± he ground out. ¡°You said it like you were there.¡±

    ¡°I saw it. Like I saw everything else.¡±

    ¡°If you saw it, then you¡¯d know their names!¡± He was almost shaking me, his voice raised in desperation, fingers digging painfully into my shoulders. ¡°What were their names?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want from me!¡± I didn¡¯t know what to do. My chest felt tight, constricted. I wanted to push him away, to scream at him that I wasn¡¯t his sister and he should just stay away from me, but I didn¡¯t want to hurt him any more than I already had.

    ¡°What were their names?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ §Á §ß§Ö §Þ§à§Ô§å, §ä§â§Ö§Ò§Ñ §Þ§Ú §á§à§Þ§Ñ§Ô¡­¡± My brain caught up to my mouth and I froze. Did I just speak Sokovian? I couldn¡¯t speak Sokovian. Something rose to the surface, more words tumbling from my mouth before I had a chance to fully process them. ¡°Mama? Mama was¡­ Iryna. Papa¡­ §°§Ý§Ö§Ô.¡± That couldn¡¯t be right. I didn¡¯t know their names. Did I? They sounded right. Maybe they¡¯d been said on WandaVision or something, but it really did not feel like I was remembering them from that. Where was this coming from?

    One of Pietro¡¯s hands released my shoulder and shot up to cover his mouth as he let out a small gasp, his eyes shining and wet.

    Seeing him like that, my vision blurred, and I found myself unable to hold back the tears any longer. ¡°Pietro¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening to me,¡± I said, my voice shaking and small. ¡°I thought I did but I don¡¯t anymore.¡±

    Pietro¡¯s arms were suddenly around me in a crushing embrace¡ªI went rigid for a split-second, then relaxed into it, burying my face in his shoulder as I started to sob, the tears coming freely now. ¡°Shh, I¡¯m here, ?§Ñ §ã§Ñ§Þ §ä§å §Ù§Ñ §ä§Ö§Ò§Ö, §ß§Ö §á§Ý§Ñ§é§Ú, shh¡­¡± he murmured, stroking the back of my head. After a moment, he pressed his lips to my temple then gently pried me off of him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I sniffed, wiping at my eyes.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve had a big day,¡± he said softly. ¡°We can just stay here. Talk more later.¡±

    I shook my head, taking another deep breath to steady myself. ¡°No, I need to go to the Avengers. It¡¯s important.¡± My mind was whirling, but this was something I couldn¡¯t afford to put off. I¡¯d risked so much with Bucky, I needed to see it through. ¡°You don¡¯t¡­ you don¡¯t have to come if you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, I¡¯m not just going to sit here and let you go by yourself.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, my voice hitching slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know where I¡¯d be right now without you.¡±

    He sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. ¡°Dead in a ditch somewhere, probably.¡±

    The corners of my mouth pulled up in a weak smile and I pushed his shoulder gently. ¡°Okay,¡± I said, stepping back. Dabbing at my face again, I straightened my jacket and ran my fingers through my hair. ¡°Okay. How do I look? Is it bad?¡±

    ¡°You look like a housewife who just found out her husband is cheating on her.¡±

    ¡°Pietro!¡± I said, scandalised, and pushed him again, harder this time.

    ¡°Oof! Sorry, sorry. You¡¯re fine, you look fine.¡±

    I sighed, then squared my shoulders and wove another portal back to New York, in the same spot it had opened earlier. As the gateway spun open, I paused¡ªthrough it, I could see Bucky and Steve, but they¡¯d been joined by Iron Man, standing in the middle of the street in his full suit of red and gold armour. They were in the middle of talking, turning to glance in my direction as the gateway opened. A second later, Thor fell from the sky, small sparks of electricity earthing themselves in the pavement as the thunder god landed in a perfect three-point superhero pose next to Iron Man.

    Steeling myself, I stepped through.

    --

    We were in what I thought of as the main gathering space inside Avengers Tower, a wide-open room enclosed by glass and steel near the very top of the building, directly above the Quinjet hangar. Couches and other comfortable furniture lay scattered around and a grand piano even sat tucked away in the corner of the space¡ªdid one of the Avengers play? I couldn¡¯t remember. One side of the room had gentle sloping staircases to a long balcony and I could see a couple of telescopes and other bits and pieces arrayed along it overlooking the Manhattan skyline.

    ¡°They¡¯re just kids, Tony. They¡¯re trying to do good things, it just got away from them. Wanda¡­ you weren¡¯t there, you didn¡¯t see her. Trust me.¡±

    I bristled internally a little at Steve calling us kids, but my attention was mostly preoccupied with the fact that standing on the balcony, back far enough that she could observe but not be expected to participate, was Jessica actual fucking Jones. The PI was watching the proceedings with her arms folded in front of her, an inscrutable expression on her face. I¡¯d done an almost comical double-take when I¡¯d first spotted and recognised her. I was pretty sure she¡¯d clocked my reaction, but I still couldn¡¯t stop sneaking glances her way.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    What the actual fuck was she doing here? Had I been operating on completely false assumptions about this being the mainline MCU? Was this a variant universe or alternate timeline where Jessica Jones was an Avenger? Or had I somehow caused this? I honestly had no idea how that would have happened. The Ancient One had warned me that the consequences of my actions were far-reaching¡­ maybe I needed to spend a bit more of my time trying to map out possible unintended changes, but I had no idea how I could have predicted something like this.

    The faceplate of Tony Stark¡¯s armour was retracted, so we could see the incredulous look on his face as he rounded on Steve. ¡°Can we trust you, Cap? Because last I checked you got shanghaied by a mind controller and came back singing her praises. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a mite suspicious?¡±

    ¡°Look, I get it. It¡¯s suspicious, yes, but I¡¯m fine. She hasn¡¯t done anything to me. I¡¯m not being controlled. We¡¯ll do whatever tests you think are necessary to confirm it.¡±

    ¡°Steve¡¯s right. She¡¯s not the sort of person who¡¯d do that,¡± Bucky said quietly.

    ¡°Hey, this goes double for you, Manchurian Candidate,¡± Tony snapped back, irritated at the interjection. ¡°She¡¯s been poking around in your head¡ªwe don¡¯t know for sure what she did in there.¡±

    ¡°That was my choice.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah? What about Wakanda?¡± Stark asked, spreading his arms in a wide gesture as he looked at me questioningly. ¡°They ask you to mess with their minds as well?¡±

    ¡°Wakanda?¡± Steve¡¯s expression turned puzzled.

    I blinked, my distraction temporarily forgotten, and hesitated for a moment. They knew about Wakanda?

    ¡°We tracked them from South Africa,¡± Natasha said quietly to Steve. ¡°They hit an arms dealer, stole his supply of vibranium, and used it as a bargaining chip to infiltrate the Wakandan border.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t infiltrate anything,¡± Pietro protested. ¡°They let us in.¡±

    Ah, of course, that made sense. ¡°Klaue was a wanted criminal in Wakanda, public enemy number one. He stole their vibranium and evaded capture for years. We brought him in and what was left of what he¡¯d stolen. We were doing a good thing.¡±

    ¡°Were you doing a good thing? Or were you just trying to take advantage of the situation to get what you wanted?¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t¡­¡± I trailed off and sighed. That wasn¡¯t wholly inaccurate. ¡°What happened in Wakanda was a mistake. Another misunderstanding, like at Kamar-taj.¡±

    ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve had a lot of ¡®misunderstandings¡¯,¡± Bruce said from where he was lounging on one of the couches. He was the only one of us who actually looked relaxed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d call mind-controlling a high ranking official to get close to their king a ¡®misunderstanding¡¯,¡± Hawkeye chimed in, shrugging his shoulders.

    Steve turned to look at me and I flinched away from his questioning look. ¡°It was stupid and I shouldn¡¯t have done it, but General Okoye threatened to lock us up. I couldn¡¯t¡­ I have some personal issues with feeling trapped,¡± I admitted, my cheeks burning. ¡°I had to do something, so I changed her mind, then it was either follow my original plan and try to talk to King T¡¯Chaka or just walk away empty?handed, and after Kamar-taj¡­¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to fail again,¡± Steve said. ¡°I understand, but that doesn¡¯t excuse it.¡±

    It felt a little like he was reprimanding a small child, rather than talking to me as a person. ¡°It didn¡¯t work out, but it wasn¡¯t that bad. No one got hurt,¡± I said defensively.

    ¡°No one got hurt? According to Prince T¡¯Challa, Speedy Gonzales and the Wicked Witch of the West over here put five of their royal guards in the hospital and broke three of his ribs,¡± Tony said, unhelpfully. ¡°Not to mention the conversation piece you carved into the floor of their throne room. That kinda pissed them off.¡±

    ¡°We were defending ourselves,¡± Pietro spat. He took a threatening step forward, hands balled into fists at his sides, and I quickly interposed myself and put a hand on his chest. I shot him a warning look and he hesitated for only a moment before backing down.

    ¡°Well, Wakanda considers you fugitives. Offered their support to help us bring you in and everything.¡±

    I set my jaw, trying to control my breathing. That familiar tight feeling was rising in my chest and I was beginning to wonder if coming here had been a mistake. ¡°Steve promised that we would be free to leave if we wanted. No strings.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, Steve¡¯s not the boss of me.¡± Tony paused as Steve shot him an annoyed look. ¡°But fine. Leave if that¡¯s what you want, but if you want to play with the big boys, you need to meet us halfway. You want to work with us? Then you need to give us something to work with. Like that pendant of yours,¡± he said, gesturing toward my neck.

    ¡°Fine, Stark. Let¡¯s talk about my pendant, but first just¡­ I know things. I can¡¯t properly explain how or why.¡± I paused, trying to work out the best way of describing it. I couldn¡¯t outright say I¡¯d seen movies about them, it would sound ridiculous. I needed to build my credibility, not undermine it. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the universe from the outside. Untethered by time. I¡¯ve seen things, major events¡­ bits and pieces of the past and future of everyone in this room, as well as others.¡±

    ¡°Others? Like Kamar-taj and Wakanda?¡± Steve asked.

    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ve seen the future and I¡¯ve been trying to act on that information without causing more problems than I¡¯ve solved. Sometimes things haven¡¯t worked out great, but I can tell you for a fact that I¡¯ve saved hundreds or thousands of lives already by stopping certain things from happening.¡±

    ¡°No shit,¡± Tony snorted. ¡°So, what? You want us to just believe everything you say and, if your Nostradamus predictions fall through, you get to mumble something about butterflies and we just move on like you weren''t wrong?¡±

    I flushed, a little bit off-balance. The worst part about his argument was that he wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing the best I could with limited resources.¡±

    ¡°She helped Bucky. Put herself in harm¡¯s way to do it. She didn¡¯t have to,¡± Steve said, looking around at each of his friends. ¡°It can¡¯t hurt to hear her out, right? I owe her that much, at least.¡±

    There was a lull, so I reached up with both hands and framed the pendant hanging from my neck between my fingers. Thin wisps of chaos magic clicked it open and the Mind Stone floated out until it was hovering gently over my outstretched palm, emanating a faint golden light. ¡°This was what was powering Loki¡¯s sceptre. It¡¯s an Infinity Stone.¡±

    Thor reacted instantly, straightening up in surprise. ¡°An Infinity Stone? Are you certain?¡± he demanded, his brow furrowed. I nodded and the thunder god glanced around at the rest of the Avengers. ¡°The six Infinity Stones are the greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in their destructive capabilities.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not inherently destructive. Each of the Infinity Stones embodies an aspect of the universe. Space, Reality, Power, Soul, Mind, and Time,¡± I explained. ¡°This is the Mind Stone. You¡¯ve encountered others recently, as well. Earth has become a bit of a focal point of activity relating to the Stones.¡±

    Thor¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°¡­yes, it has,¡± he acknowledged. ¡°The Tesseract and the Aether.¡±

    ¡°Space. Reality. The Time Stone is also on Earth.¡± I held up my fingers as I counted them off, then glanced over at Steve. ¡°The Eye of Agamotto, guarded by the Ancient One.¡±

    ¡°Then it is even more important you relinquish it to me. Asgard will ensure its safety.¡±

    ¡°The Mind Stone has chosen me as its protector,¡± I lied. ¡°Your father knows that the Stones are too dangerous to keep together. The Tesseract is safe in Asgard¡¯s vault, but he sent the Aether to be held in trust by the Collector rather than keep two in the same place. Odin should be satisfied that this one remains with its chosen guardian.¡±

    Thor held my gaze for a few moments. When he spoke, his voice was measured, but subdued. ¡°I sought Heimdall¡¯s aid to find you, to secure the sceptre, but he has not responded. He is either away from his post or he''s been ordered not to answer. I will have to return to Asgard to seek my father¡¯s counsel.¡±

    I tried not to show my relief on my face. ¡°Then can we shelve this discussion for now? Please?¡± I vaguely recalled a throwaway line in Age of Ultron along the same lines, but it really wasn¡¯t clear to me why Heimdall wouldn¡¯t be responding to Thor right now. The whole ¡®actually your brother is alive and impersonating your father¡¯ thing was a conversation I wanted to have with the thunder god, but it would need to be approached carefully, hopefully after he¡¯d come to trust me a little bit more, and privately¡ªI didn¡¯t really want to air out the thunder god¡¯s personal family drama in front of everyone. He deserved that much at least. There were a few things like that, stuff I wanted to talk to individuals about, once I¡¯d earned a bit more trust.

    ¡°Asgard aside, I¡¯m not crazy about you accessorising with one of these things, if what you¡¯re saying is true,¡± Tony interjected. ¡°It¡¯d be safer here, with us.¡±

    ¡°Look, I want us to work together. If we can stay here¡ªas allies¡ªthen that¡¯s problem solved, right? We don¡¯t need to fight, and you get to keep an eye on the Stone.¡±

    Steve nodded encouragingly. ¡°That seems like a workable solution. Everyone gets what they want.¡±

    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ve got some spare bunks in the Tower. We can¡¯t just take all of this on faith, though,¡± said Tony firmly. ¡°Let us at least give the Stone a once over. We need to be sure it¡¯s safe for you to keep.¡±

    I hesitated, thinking it through. The sceptre was destroyed, the nascent mind that became Ultron no longer a threat. I hadn¡¯t messed with Tony¡¯s mind, so it was only his natural poor decision-making I had to contend with. It was probably as safe as it was ever going to get for him to look at it. It was a little bit difficult sometimes, after all the failures, but I needed to remember that this had all started with an unequivocal success¡ªUltron had been permanently averted. I¡¯d saved countless Sokovian lives, delayed or completely removed the threat of the Sokovia Accords, and maybe even stopped the Avengers from breaking up. Whatever other mistakes I¡¯d made since then, no one could take that victory away from me.

    ¡°Fine. Agreed. You can examine the Stone, but then it comes back to me.¡±

    Tony blinked, deflating a little. It seemed like he¡¯d thought I was going to argue with him. ¡°Okay,¡± he said, a little grudgingly. ¡°Well. That¡¯s progress.¡±

    I felt some of the tension leave my shoulders and tried to fight off a yawn, but it came out anyway, long and loud. I flushed and looked away, slightly embarrassed. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s been a bit of a day.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough for now, then,¡± Steve said, looking at me sympathetically. ¡°Kaecilius will keep. We can talk strategy tomorrow.¡±

    I nodded gratefully. ¡°Thanks. There are a few other things I need to talk to everyone about as well, but yeah, it can wait.¡±

    ¡°The Stone?¡± Tony asked, holding out an armoured hand.

    Taking a deep breath, I floated it over to him and deposited it in his palm with a clink. I shot him a reluctant look. ¡°Be careful with it. Wear gloves if you¡¯re handling it directly, just in case.¡±

    Tony nodded. ¡°Will do. You get some rest. We¡¯ll do some preliminary scans and we¡¯ll coordinate in the morning.¡± He turned and headed up a short flight of stairs toward an adjacent room¡ªI could see through the glass wall that it was packed with unidentifiable scientific equipment. Bruce stood and followed him, shooting me one last appraising look and giving an awkward half-wave goodbye as he walked away.

    I watched them leave, then turned back to Steve with a tight smile. This was good. This was progress. It had taken a while, but I was finally where I needed to be and the Avengers were willing to listen. Things were finally going right for once.

    --

    Natasha peered over Bruce¡¯s shoulder at the latest set of test results, feeling anxious. Bucky¡¯s scans had shown oddly?localised elevated levels of CMB radiation, which matched with the microwave remnants they¡¯d detected in New Delhi after Wanda had used her powers there. She was no expert, but she knew enough that she felt reasonably confident that she wasn¡¯t seeing anything like that on the scans of Steve¡¯s brain.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s clean,¡± Bruce said with a shrug, though his expression still held some uncertainty. ¡°No lingering traces of radiation, CT scans are all normal. Well, normal for Cap.¡±

    Nat let out a breath she didn¡¯t know she was holding in. ¡°So they¡¯re telling the truth?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be nice,¡± said Tony wryly, pacing back and forth. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be nice? Just for once, to have this all actually have been a giant set of misunderstandings.¡±

    Nat watched him pace. ¡°You don¡¯t sound convinced.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he said, firmly. Then, a little less firmly. ¡°Not entirely. Okay, yeah, she talks a good game and Steve¡¯s debrief was pretty definitive, but can we afford to take chances here? We could just bonk her on the head and hand her over to the Amazing One.¡±

    "Ancient One," Bruce corrected him.

    ¡°Whatever.¡±

    ¡°Steve wouldn¡¯t go for it. He¡¯s pretty convinced she means well.¡± Natasha shook her head slowly. ¡°You heard what he said about what happened with Bucky. I think we should give them a chance. Even if she hasn¡¯t actually seen the future, she does seem to know some things she shouldn¡¯t be able to. We need her onside.¡±

    Tony stared at her for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Yeah. Damn it¡­ you¡¯re right. Fine, they get a chance.¡±

 Chapter 19

    ¡°The Mind Stone is like nothing we¡¯ve ever seen before. The underlying structure is almost impossibly dense. It¡¯d take days to even begin to properly understand the data we¡¯re getting from it.¡± Bruce said, barely-restrained excitement and wonder in his voice. ¡°This is massive. We could advance our understanding of particle physics by decades. If the Infinity Stones really are tied somehow to the fundamental forces of the universe, we could be looking at the basis for a complete, unified theory of everything.¡±

    It was the morning after I¡¯d handed the Mind Stone over to the Avengers to examine and, despite how tired I¡¯d been, I¡¯d had a lot of trouble sleeping. I was reasonably sure that it was safe for me to temporarily relinquish the Stone, but my imagination had run away with itself and I¡¯d spent the night coming up with increasingly unlikely-but-possible scenarios regarding how it could all go terribly wrong. On top of that, the rooms we¡¯d been given weren¡¯t exactly the height of comfort¡ªsmall, practical quarters obviously only meant for team members or guests to stay in temporarily if they needed to spend the night in the Tower. They reminded me unpleasantly of my cell back in the HYDRA research base in Sokovia.

    Now we were in the briefing room, which was essentially similar to every other mundane conference room I¡¯d ever been in before, just a little bit fancier. A dark wooden central table surrounded by comfortable black leather office chairs dominated the room and three large monitors were mounted on one of the glass walls. Bruce was standing by one of them, pointing out details on a very technically impressive-looking graphical representation of the Mind Stone and the data and energy readings they¡¯d pulled from it so far. The other Avengers were gathered around the table along with Pietro and me. Maria Hill, Bucky Barnes and Jessica Jones rounded out the attendees.

    Bruce looked at me hopefully. ¡°We could really use some more time to look over this more closely. If the Stones are important as you say they are, we might find something more we can use.¡±

    I hesitated, biting my lip. Everyone was looking at me. There was still some potential danger in letting Tony Stark have free rein to poke at the Mind Stone, but I was staying in the same building and could head off any problems if they developed. Refusing might hurt the cooperative relationship I was trying to build here. ¡°Okay. Just¡­ focus on making sense of the data. Don¡¯t try to do anything with it without talking to me.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Bruce smiled, pleased, as he sat back down at the table with the rest of us.

    ¡°Okay, with that out of the way¡­ Wanda,¡± Steve addressed me. ¡°You have some things you wanted to talk to us about. We¡¯re listening.¡±

    I took a deep breath, running through what I thought was most important to talk about right now. There was so, so many things I could get into, but it would probably be better to focus on the high-level, important threats just for now. Keep things impersonal so I don¡¯t piss anyone off. If I played this right, I¡¯d have plenty of time to get into more detailed things later. ¡°Okay, so, I think there are three big things that we really need to go over. The first, and most imminent, is Kaecilius.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the guy you fought in Bucharest, right? The wizard?¡± Tony asked. ¡°Steve already filled us in on what happened there and Nepal.¡±

    ¡°Okay, good. I¡¯m reasonably sure we¡¯ve got a few months before he makes his move, but I¡¯d really appreciate the Avengers¡¯ help dealing with him.¡±

    Steve tilted his head, looking at me questioningly. ¡°The Ancient One wasn¡¯t exactly keen for us to get involved.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but fuck her,¡± I said, provoking a round of raised eyebrows and mildly amused expressions. Standing up, I paced back and forth for a few seconds before stopping and placing both of my palms on the table. I leaned forward, looking seriously at each of the Avengers in turn. ¡°The sorcerers don¡¯t want to share their secrets and that¡¯s fine, whatever, but I need to make this really clear: he is trying to cause the literal end of the world. If he succeeds, the entire planet will be absorbed by the Dark Dimension.¡±

    A few of them exchanged cautious glances. ¡°The ¡®Dark Dimension¡¯ doesn¡¯t sound great,¡± Bruce hazarded.

    ¡°It¡¯s not, trust me. And in the timeline I saw, the Ancient One died failing to stop Kaecilius.¡±

    Steve frowned. ¡°And whatever her plan was¡ªthis person that was going to be the one to stop him¡ªisn¡¯t ready?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. He¡¯s not even a sorcerer yet.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we just¡­ go get him, then?¡± Clint asked, folding his arms with a shrug. ¡°Kaecilius is ahead of schedule, so we just give him a bit of nudge, too?¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯d basically be impossible. He¡¯s useless to us as he currently is.¡± I shook my head. ¡°He¡¯s talented, amazingly so, but a real arrogant jackass. Think Stark pre-Afghanistan.¡±

    ¡°Hey, come on now,¡± Tony protested.

    ¡°Are you really going to argue with that?¡± Natasha said teasingly, a small smirk curving the corner of her mouth.

    ¡°¡­objection withdrawn. Proceed, your honour.¡±

    I smiled faintly at Nat. ¡°Yeah, so he needs his Iron Man moment to happen, so he can become who he needs to be. We can¡¯t rush it.¡±

    ¡°What do we even do, then?¡± Steve asked. ¡°You said yourself that there was no way to track Kaecilius and his followers.¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t, but we do know where they¡¯re going to attack. The sorcerers have Sanctums in London, Hong Kong, and one right here in New York City. They¡¯re parts of like a¡­ world-spanning defence grid that protects us from interdimensional threats. He¡¯ll try to destroy them. We¡¯ll play ball with the Ancient One and keep out of the sorcerers¡¯ way, but we can still make our own preparations to protect them.¡±

    ¡°You said one¡¯s in New York?¡±

    ¡°Bleecker Street somewhere. I¡¯m not sure of the exact address, but I know what it looks like¡­ it¡¯s got a pretty distinctive window on the top floor. It¡¯ll just be a matter of walking down the street until I see it. I think the Sanctums in London and Hong Kong have similar-looking designs, but I don¡¯t know where they are exactly so they might be tricky to find.¡±

    ¡°Alright, so we locate the New York Sanctum and start thinking defence plans.¡±

    ¡°Can you clarify something?¡± Bruce ventured hesitantly.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Those portals you make¡­ the sorcerers can make them, too? They¡¯re a magic thing? Not something to do with your other powers?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes and no. I don¡¯t actually have ¡®other powers¡¯ as such. I¡¯m not Enhanced like you or Pietro. I always had the potential for magic; the Mind Stone just unlocked and supercharged it.¡± The cat was out of the bag now, so there was no point in trying to deceive them about it. I held up a hand and summoned some wisps of chaos magic, letting them drip harmlessly from my fingers. ¡°This is magic. There are a lot of ways to use it. In some ways I feel like I¡¯ve only really scratched the surface of what I¡¯m capable of.¡± Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hawkeye shift uncomfortably as I said that.

    ¡°You¡¯re a witch,¡± Thor said, matter-of-factly. ¡°You do not have the trappings of such, so I did not recognise your magic for what it was immediately, but it¡¯s obvious in retrospect.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, obvious, sure.¡± Tony rolled his eyes.

    ¡°The next thing we need to talk about: Thanos, the Mad Titan.¡±

    Thor paused and straightened up, staring at me for a few moments before I nodded and gestured for him to speak. The thunder god looked slowly around the table. ¡°I have heard of this being. A genocidal warlord who has crusaded across the stars for years, decimating planets. It is said that he controls the largest armies in the universe.¡±

    ¡°More than decimating. His usual MO is to arrive on a planet, seize control with his armies, then slaughter half the populace before moving on. He¡¯s¡­ well, he¡¯s another delusional maniac. He believes that the greatest threat to the universe is overpopulation and the only way to rein it in is by culling planets.¡±

    ¡°And let me guess, he¡¯s coming for Earth.¡± Tony sighed.

    ¡°You actually already fought off his first, indirect attack.¡±

    A flicker of understanding passed across Thor¡¯s face. ¡°The Chitauri? I had wondered how Loki had secured an army and the sceptre.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve got a few years to prepare before he really makes another attempt at Earth, but it¡¯s actually worse than that. He¡¯s not interested in Earth specifically¡ªhis ultimate goal is the Infinity Stones. He wants to collect the whole set, all six of them, then snap his fingers and erase half of all life in the universe at once.¡±

    There were a few moments of silence as everyone processed that. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Bruce hesitated. ¡°Are the stones really capable of something like that?¡±

    ¡°When all used together, yes. In the timeline I saw, he succeeds. It¡¯s¡­ utterly devastating. Here and elsewhere.¡±

    Thor nodded gravely, resting his chin on his fist, deep in thought. ¡°I¡¯d believe it possible. Everything I¡¯ve heard of the Stones supports that level of power.¡±

    ¡°And at least two of the Stones are on Earth¡­¡± Clint trailed off.

    ¡°He has armies and powerful individuals supporting him¡ªhis Black Order¡ªbut even Thanos by himself is a massive threat. In my visions, he fist-fought the Hulk and utterly dismantled him. Thor, Steve, Stark,¡± I pointed at each of them in turn. ¡°I saw him fight the three of you, all working together, all much stronger than you are now, and he was powerful enough to beat all of you.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°So how are we supposed to stop him?¡±

    I knew that I was at least potentially strong enough to fight Thanos, but that would sound awfully convenient from their perspective. There was, however, at least one other thing I could suggest that could let me kill two birds with one stone. ¡°We call in support. Maria?¡±

    Maria Hill blinked in surprise, not having expected to be called on. ¡°Oh, uh. What?¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯ve got a way of contacting Nick Fury. Please reach out and tell him he needs to call Carol home. We¡¯re going to need her.¡±

    Maria looked to Steve in askance and he nodded slightly before looking back at me. ¡°Carol?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ll like her, probably. She¡¯s out in space somewhere at the moment, but Fury has a way of reaching her. He met her back in the nineties¡ªshe¡¯s actually the one the Avengers Initiative was named after." Tony and Steve exchanged a glance at that, brows furrowed. ¡°And that brings me to the third thing we need to talk about. Thor, what do you know about Celestials?¡±

    ¡°They are ancient gods, primordial beings that trace their origins to the universe¡¯s beginning. They spin new stars out of raw creation. I do not know much else¡­ They have only rarely visited Asgard.¡±

    ¡°Do you know anything about their life cycle? How new Celestials are born?¡± I asked. When he shook his head, I continued. ¡°Long story short, they need planets with intelligent life on them. A nascent Celestial is seeded inside and life is cultivated on the world. I¡¯m not clear on the how or why, but they¡¯re nourished by the proliferation and advancement of intelligent life. Once they reach maturity inside the planet¡¯s interior, they burst out¡­ The resident civilisation typically doesn¡¯t survive the process.¡±

    ¡°Okay, not loving where you¡¯re going with this,¡± said Tony.

    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a giant alien god-baby inside Earth and they¡¯ll be ready to hatch in a few years¡¯ time. I actually have literally no idea what to do about this one, so I¡¯m open to suggestions.¡±

    Slowly, everyone at the table turned to look at Thor again. He sat, happily oblivious for a few seconds, before blinking as he suddenly noticed he was the centre of attention. ¡°¡­Thor?¡± Steve prompted him.

    The Asgardian prince hastily cleared his throat. ¡°Ah, yes, of course. This is¡­ disturbing, if true. I am unsure if Odin will know of a way to avert such a disaster.¡±

    I nodded encouragingly. ¡°If you could ask him, it¡¯d be helpful.¡± Maybe I didn¡¯t even need to tell Thor about Odin at all. If I just sent him back to Asgard with a barrage of questions that Loki couldn¡¯t answer, maybe the imposter would give himself away by accident. ¡°If he isn¡¯t sure, I think the next best place to look for answers might be Omnipotence City.¡±

    ¡°Omnipotence City?¡± Tony pulled a face at the name.

    ¡°A bunch of pantheons banded together and created a literal city of the gods,¡± I explained. ¡°I know that there are at least some Celestials that hang out there.¡±

    Thor tapped his fingers on the table as he tried to mask his sudden excitement. ¡°It¡¯s the home of the most powerful gods in the universe. Yes¡­ Heimdall will answer my call sooner or later. I will return to Asgard and speak with my father about Thanos, the Infinity Stones and this Dark Dimension¡ªAsgard may know more of it than Earth¡¯s sorcerers. Then I will journey to Omnipotence City and seek out the Celestials.¡± He smiled to himself, very obviously pleased with this development.

    ¡°So¡­ holding pattern, for the most part? The rest of us sit tight while we wait for Thor and this mysterious ¡®Carol¡¯? Do a little research on the Mind Stone, start spitballing ideas on how to protect some wizards who don¡¯t want to be protected¡­ that about all?¡± Tony shrugged. ¡°Okay, seems easy enough.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t asking them to do much of anything at this stage, so when it came right down to it, from their perspective, there was little downside to listening to me on these specific matters. There was trickier stuff I needed to talk to them about as well, but almost all of it would require a gentle guiding hand and careful thought. I might also be able to just steer people in the right direction, so that they could find out things on their own, rather than outright telling them things that might get some pushback. It was a good thing I had literal years before most other things became problems¡ªunless something came up, I could hopefully handle them at my leisure.

    Nodding along, Steve looked around the table. ¡°Anyone have any issues with that? It seems straightforward enough to me. Just preparations, nothing extreme.¡± There was a subdued chorus of nods and murmured affirmations, then the super soldier turned to look at me seriously. ¡°Then it¡¯s agreed. We do need to discuss Wakanda, though.¡±

    It was my turn to pull a face. ¡°Do we, though? It¡¯s not like the US has an extradition treaty with them.¡± I paused, suddenly unsure. ¡°Do you?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. What happened might have been a misunderstanding, but you still need to make it right.¡±

    ¡°Okay, fine, just¡­ can we table this discussion for a bit?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re not my keeper and you don¡¯t have a responsibility to Wakanda. I¡¯ll handle it, but let me do it in my own time. Please?¡±

    Steve set his jaw and it looked like he was going to argue for a moment, but then he sighed and nodded his head. ¡°Okay. But you do have to handle it.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    I honestly had no idea how I was going to approach that. It seemed like Wakanda had kept the theft of the Heart?Shaped Herb to themselves, which was fair enough¡ªit wasn¡¯t something they would volunteer information about while talking to outsiders¡ªbut that also meant the Avengers didn¡¯t know exactly how burned those bridges were. Considering how tenaciously they¡¯d pursued Klaue for stealing vibranium, I couldn¡¯t really imagine a scenario where they¡¯d give up on the hunt for someone who¡¯d stolen a secret, priceless national treasure like the Herb. Even if it was possible to negotiate it out, me keeping the Herb¡¯s physical enhancement would almost certainly be a dealbreaker and I wasn¡¯t willing to relinquish something that had actively saved my life at least once already. Problems for the future.

    Tony stretched out his arms and looked over at Thor, a light smile ghosting across his face. ¡°So, the hunt for the sceptre¡¯s done. Sounds like we¡¯ve potentially got a whole host of other problems to deal with later, but for now¡­ feels good, yeah? I mean, you¡¯ve been after that thing,¡± he gestured at the monitor with the Mind Stone data on it, ¡°since SHIELD collapsed. Not that I haven¡¯t enjoyed our little raiding parties, but¡­¡±

    ¡°No, but this brings it to a close,¡± the thunder god said with a smile, nodding his agreement.

    ¡°And you¡¯ll be going back to Asgard soon, right? Might be gone a while, too, if you head out to this Omnipotence City place as well. So¡­ farewell party?¡±

    Thor chuckled. ¡°Yes, yes, of course. A victory should be honoured with revels.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, who doesn¡¯t love revels? Captain?¡±

    Steve let a small smile curl the corner of his mouth, looking between Pietro, Jessica, Bucky and I. ¡°Victory and new friends, so¡­ yes, revels.¡±

    My eyes widened and I nodded furiously. The Avengers were going to have a party and I was invited? Holy shit. It seemed as though not everything from Age of Ultron had been averted, after all. This was much, much later than in the original timeline, though¡­ I was pretty sure their farewell party for Thor had happened only a few days after the raid on the HYDRA research base. That had happened, what, maybe three weeks ago now? I¡¯d actually lost track of how long it had been.

    Oh, God. What was I going to wear?

    --

    ¡°How are you holding up?¡±

    Pietro grunted in response as I approached him. He was standing on the upper level of the main gathering area, looking out over the city skyline¡ªdid the Avengers have a special name for this room? The Lounge? It was kind of like a lounge and bar. Not important.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to be here,¡± I said softly. ¡°It means a lot to me that you are anyway. I hope you know that.¡±

    He sighed and turned to look at me. ¡°Yeah. I know.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t much point hanging around Avengers Tower, apart from taking advantage of the kitchen or relaxing in the Lounge. There was a lot of the building that was still off-limits to us unless we were with one of the Avengers, including Tony¡¯s lab where the Mind Stone was being kept. On top of that, JARVIS was keeping a watchful eye on our every move, which was a little bit discomforting. I didn¡¯t like being constantly observed¡ªit reminded me of my time at HYDRA. At least here, I could just go out for a bit if I wanted to.

    ¡°I was going to head out this afternoon and find the New York Sanctum, get an actual address, then¡­ well, we¡¯ve got a couple of days to kill and there¡¯s a lot we could do. Lots of stuff happens in New York.¡± I smiled to myself faintly. ¡°Not just Avengers stuff. I thought we might even catch a show, if there¡¯s anything interesting on.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Pietro hesitated. ¡°I think I just want to do my own thing. By myself.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Okay.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ I¡¯m fine. I just need to get out of this place. Get away from all of this for a little bit.¡±

    Away from me. We still needed to talk more about my memories and who I was, but he seemed to be avoiding it for now, which was fair enough. He needed more time to process stuff on his own.

    ¡°Okay. Well, just so you know, there¡¯s been a few clips posted on the internet of Spider?Man, so it looks like he started up in the last couple of weeks. Opening a portal directly to him would probably scare the crap out of him, blow his cover or both, so I thought I¡¯d check out his school at some point and see if I can spot him or some of his friends, try to work out where he lives.¡±

    There was also Nelson and Murdock¡ªI thought I could have a frank conversation with Matt about Elektra and the Hand. It was probably worth bringing the Avengers in on the Hand situation, but it wasn¡¯t super urgent. I also kind of wanted to introduce myself to Luke Cage, for¡­ reasons.

    ¡°How old is he again?¡±

    ¡°Fifteen, I think, but he¡¯s very strong and doesn¡¯t have any real support or guidance. He could use some help. Scouting mission only today, though. I¡¯ll probably leave off actually approaching him for a couple of days. There¡¯s no rush and I don¡¯t want to spread myself too thin.¡±

    I noticed Pietro suddenly stiffen up and glanced backward, following his gaze. Tony Stark was at the bottom of the stairs, on his way up to us.

    ¡°Hey, you two.¡±

    I went to say hi back, but Pietro cut me off, his tone venomous. ¡°What do you want, Stark?¡±

    ¡°Cool your jets, Ace,¡± Tony said, holding his hands up defensively. ¡°I¡¯m not looking to cause trouble.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you want.¡± Pietro glanced back toward me. ¡°Find me if you need me,¡± he said brusquely, then blurred and shot past Tony, almost knocking the other man off his feet as he rapidly exited the room.

    ¡°¡­Little rude, but fair enough,¡± Tony grumbled lightly as he walked up to me. ¡°Wanda.¡±

    ¡°Stark.¡± I turned away from him, perhaps a little more frostily than I needed to, choosing to look back out at the city skyline instead.

    He paused for a moment, absently running a finger along an expensive-looking telescope next to the window. ¡°Look, I just want to say something.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, my tone guarded.

    ¡°I know there¡¯s nothing that I could do that would make things right. I can¡¯t give you your parents back. I can¡¯t undo the deals that Stark Industries made to sell the bombs that killed them.¡± He fidgeted, visibly uncomfortable. ¡°Any apology I give won¡¯t be enough and I doubt you¡¯d even accept one, but I just wanted you to know that I¡¯m not a huge fan of who I used to be either and I¡¯m trying to do things right these days. To be better.¡±

    Huh. I don¡¯t remember ever seeing anything like this, with Tony actually talking to Wanda about her family and apologising. Then again, he had to know that I didn¡¯t think I was Wanda. Steve wouldn¡¯t have left out what the Ancient One said about me when he briefed the others, would he? What exactly did he say? This was all far more complicated than I wanted it to be.

    I let out a quiet snort. ¡°You¡¯re lucky that Pietro ran away just now. I think he might have put you through the window for talking about it. He¡¯s not good with this sort of thing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, neither am I really.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the effort, though.¡±

    We stood there for a few moments, just silently looking out over the city, before he fumbled with his pockets. ¡°Oh, here, by the way.¡± He held out a pair of sleek smartphones. ¡°One for you, one for Pietro. Everyone¡¯s numbers are already in there.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s certainly a less invasive way to keep tabs on us. Nice of you to at least make it obvious that you¡¯ll be tracking our movements.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ just for that,¡± he hedged. ¡°You want to work with us, we¡¯ll need to stay connected. Here, look.¡± He held up one of the phones and indicated the buttons on the side. ¡°Hold down this one and this one for two seconds and it¡¯ll activate the duress alarm and tracker. The whole team will get an alert and a ping with your location. Everyone¡¯s got one.¡±

    Okay, now that could be helpful. ¡°Thanks. That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll give Pietro his when I see him. Probably better coming from me than from you.¡±

    ¡°Understandable.¡±

 Chapter 20

    Despite my initial excitement at being invited, I had never really been a big party person, especially ones where I barely knew any of the people there. Pietro and I had strategically retreated to the corner of the lounge, tucked away next to a standing lamp under the balcony, where we could observe the other attendees. Everyone was well-dressed and seemingly effortlessly made up¡­ It was the first real time that I had felt actively self-conscious about my appearance in ages. I imagined that Pietro probably felt as awkward and out of place as I did¡ªit wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d had had much opportunity to attend the personal parties of the rich and famous before, either.

    ¡°What have you got there?¡± I asked, indicating the red cocktail that had made it into Pietro¡¯s hand at some point.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Something fruity. I didn¡¯t get the name of it.¡±

    ¡°Is it good?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, really good,¡± he said, offering me the glass.

    I tasted it and pulled a face. Whatever it was, it was blisteringly sweet, more like liquid candy than a cocktail. ¡°You have the palate of a twelve-year-old,¡± I said as he smirked at my reaction. Shaking my head, I tipped my scotch glass toward him, offering him a taste in return. He shrugged and accepted, taking a small sip, and I chuckled as he immediately spluttered and coughed.

    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± he asked, thrusting the glass back toward me and wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand.

    ¡°Spotted a bottle of Laphroaig 25-year cask strength on the top shelf. Stark has good taste.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can drink that. Tastes like something burned down in a swamp,¡± Pietro muttered sullenly.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said happily, lifting the glass to my nose and inhaling deeply, savouring the aroma for a few seconds before enjoying another sip. I intended to take full advantage of Tony Stark¡¯s fully-equipped wet bar this evening¡ªI hadn¡¯t actually had any alcohol since¡­ well, I couldn¡¯t remember drinking in this body, at least.

    My smile faltered a bit. I wasn¡¯t really sure who I was anymore. Every time I thought back, I started questioning my memories¡ªI¡¯d been so sure for so long that I was just isekai¡¯ed or transmigrated into Wanda¡¯s body, but it was really starting to feel like the situation was a lot more complicated than that. Shaking my head, I pushed the thoughts away. There was a lot for me to think about, but not tonight. Tonight, I was going to enjoy myself, properly, for the first real time in at least a year.

    ¡°What are you still doing here hanging out with me, anyway?¡± I asked, nudging Pietro¡¯s shoulder with mine. ¡°Don¡¯t let me stop you from having some fun.¡±

    He snorted. ¡°You think I¡¯m going to have fun? I didn¡¯t want to be here in the first place.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been too long since we¡¯ve been able to just relax. I don¡¯t want to waste this. Plus, it¡¯s a good opportunity. Go and mingle a bit,¡± I told him, frowning when he rolled his eyes at me. ¡°Look, just¡­ stay away from Stark, have a few drinks and charm the pretty girls with your accent. I never thought I¡¯d have to tell you to flirt.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Pietro sighed airily. ¡°I suppose there are some beautiful women here who could use some company.¡±

    ¡°These people are all Avengers-adjacent¡ªthey¡¯re hungry for it. When they realise you have powers and are staying in the Tower, I¡¯ll have to pry them off you with a crowbar.¡±

    ¡°¡­you know, it might be fun to tell people about how you beat up Stark in New Delhi. With a few embellishments, of course.¡±

    I shot him a warning look. ¡°Pietro, don¡¯t¡­ aaand he¡¯s already gone,¡± I said to myself as he disappeared into the crowd.

    Sighing softly, I took the opportunity to scan the lounge and pick out my own targets for social engagement. The place was utterly packed with guests, most of whom I didn¡¯t recognise at all¡ªa variety of rich and attractive people, some of whom I suspected were Tony¡¯s usual party entourage and hangers on, about a half-dozen elderly World War 2 veterans that I guessed were friends of Steve, and an assortment of other mystery guests. A small handful of hired waitstaff attended the bar and threaded through the crowd.

    Dotted among the crowd were the people I was actually interested in¡ªthe Avengers and a handful of recognisable members of their supporting casts. I spotted Tony and Thor near a bar table speaking with a well-dressed black man I recognised as Rhodey: War Machine. Some of the furniture had been moved around to accommodate more intimate clusters of seating and a pool table had been brought in¡ªSteve was currently playing a friendly game of doubles, laughing and smiling alongside Bucky, one of the elderly vets and someone who could only be Sam Wilson: Falcon. I couldn¡¯t see Nat or Bruce on my initial glance around, but remembering how the similar party in the original timeline played out, they were probably tucked away somewhere flirting with each other. I hadn¡¯t noticed Dr Helen Cho around, either, but that made sense given that none of the Avengers had been seriously injured in Sokovia or New Delhi so they¡¯d had no reason to call her in this time around.

    At the far end of the bar, past a small group of happily chatting guests with their backs to her, sat Jessica Jones. She was nursing a drink of some kind in a tumbler, a sour expression on her face as she surveyed the space. Pietro may have been resistant to enjoying himself this evening, but the private investigator very clearly had his attitude beat¡ªit looked like she was seconds away from deciding to just get up and walk out. Honestly, I was a little surprised she¡¯d turned up in the first place.

    I sidled up to her. ¡°Jessica, hi.¡± Looking around, I frowned at the lack of free bar stools and settled for standing somewhat awkwardly at the very end of the bar.

    Jessica paused as though biting back her initial response. ¡°What?¡± she asked tersely.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to you, actually,¡± I said. She looked extremely tense for some reason but, then again, she was an irritable, prickly person in general and it didn¡¯t seem like she was happy to be here. ¡°Nothing bad, I just¡­ I was honestly really surprised to see you here. With the Avengers.¡±

    She shot me a hard look. ¡°Not something you saw in your visions?¡±

    ¡°No, actually, it wasn¡¯t. I¡¯ve seen some of your life, but nothing with you and the Avengers.¡±

    ¡°¡­Romanov came to my office, wanting to know why you¡¯d looked me up on a laptop they¡¯d found. I was with her when she got the news that you¡¯d taken Rogers and she asked for my help.¡±

    A look of dawning realisation spread across my face as she spoke and I nodded slowly to myself. ¡°Huh, okay. My fault. That explains it, I guess. It¡¯s been¡­ weird. It¡¯s starting to feel like everything¡¯s changing faster than I can predict. Even little things seem to have big consequences.¡± I held my drink up to the light for a moment before draining the rest of the glass, then noticed that Jessica¡¯s was also almost empty. ¡°What are you drinking? Scotch?¡±

    ¡°¡­yeah.¡±

    The sole member of waitstaff currently behind the bar was preoccupied mixing fancy-looking cocktails for a couple of people at the opposite end, so I peered up at the shelves of liquor. ¡°I¡¯ve been having the Laphroaig, but I know it¡¯s not to everyone¡¯s taste. What¡¯s your poison? Teacher¡¯s? Winston¡¯s? Johnny Walker?¡±

    Jess sighed. ¡°Teacher¡¯s.¡±

    Surreptitiously gesturing with a hand, I levitated the bottle down to us and helped myself to what was probably a triple, then offered her the bottle. She hesitated a moment before taking it and doing the same, though her glass ended up even fuller than mine.

    I raised my glass and she stared at it for a moment before begrudgingly clinking it with hers. ¡°To new friends,¡± I toasted quietly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a friend,¡± she said, almost immediately. ¡°I was asked here for a job. That¡¯s all.¡±

    I snorted. ¡°Job¡¯s over though, right? Steve¡¯s back, safe and sound. No missing persons, nothing for a PI to do. Might be a place for another superhero, though? Another member of the team?¡±

    She shook her head, a frown on her face. ¡°No chance. This isn¡¯t me.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I paused a moment, thinking through what to say. ¡°Okay, listen. These sorts of conversations are difficult for me, because I got a lot of insight into personal, private stuff that I shouldn¡¯t actually know and I honestly don¡¯t know exactly when things have happened in relation to each other, or if they¡¯ve even happened anymore, or what.¡±

    ¡°Just say what you want to say.¡±

    ¡°Is he dead yet?¡±

    She hesitated, her jaw working for a moment. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good. He was a fucking monster. If he wasn¡¯t already dead, I¡¯d go and kill him myself.¡±

    Jessica sighed sharply. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything. I just¡­ I know what you¡¯ve had to deal with. Better than probably anyone else does. Your family, Dorothy, Trish, Luke, Reva, Hope, Malcolm, Hogarth¡­ everything,¡± I said, looking at her. She was quiet. ¡°There¡¯s some stuff that might happen that I want to warn you about, but I don¡¯t really know how to talk about this stuff without pissing you off.¡±

    ¡°No, you really don¡¯t, do you?¡± There was a hint of anger in her voice, though she was controlling it well.

    I downed my glass. It wasn¡¯t the smartest thing to do¡ªI didn¡¯t want to get too drunk too quickly, but I needed at least a bit of a buzz to have this conversation. ¡°Sorry, but I think it¡¯s maybe more important for you to know some things than it is for you to like me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear anything you think you know about me,¡± Jessica said, her tone harsh. ¡°Just leave me alone, okay? We¡¯re done here.¡± Getting off the bar stool, she turned her back to me and started to walk away.

    ¡°Your mother¡¯s alive,¡± I said quietly. She froze mid-step. ¡°She¡¯s being held by a secret experimental research lab called IGH. They¡¯re responsible for your powers. Trish has been looking into them, ask her. Also, keep an eye on her¡ªshe¡¯s had a taste of the power that those drugs gave her and she¡¯s right on the precipice. If you don¡¯t do anything¡­¡±

    Jessica walked away without a word, shouldering her way past a small group of other guests. Well, that hadn¡¯t gone great, but there was never going to be an appropriate time for that conversation. Jessica Jones was just that sort of person. I sighed, wishing that there was more I could do for her. Jessica was such a broken person, but she couldn¡¯t be helped if she didn¡¯t want help.

    Something that had been nagging at the back of my mind suddenly came into sharp focus. I wasn¡¯t feeling anything yet. A slight sense of unease crept over me and I hastily poured myself more scotch from the bottle, filling the tumbler almost to the brim. I chugged the whole thing in five seconds flat, then stared at the empty glass in my hand with slowly dawning horror. I vaguely remembered that Captain America couldn¡¯t normally get drunk¡ªthere was a whole scene about it in his first movie¡ªdid that mean that I couldn¡¯t, either? Did the Heart-Shaped Herb give a similar enhancement to my metabolism? That was¡­ extremely disappointing, if so. I mean, it wasn¡¯t like I planned to get drunk often, but at least let me get buzzed, please. I needed it after the last few weeks.

    I straightened up and looked around the party, eyes searching for a particular target. There. Steve had finished up his game of pool and was now standing with Bucky, Thor and some of the elderly veterans. Abandoning the bottle of Teacher¡¯s, I took my glass with me and hurried over to them.

    --

    Nat stood on the upper balcony, watching her target out of the corner of her eye. One of Tony¡¯s friends was talking at her¡­ She made appropriate mouth noises every so often as the man happily droned away, her attention focused almost entirely elsewhere. Below, after Jones had stalked away from the bar, Wanda had¡ªrather alarmingly¡ªknocked back an entire glass of scotch and then made a beeline toward Steve, Bucky and Thor, moving with clear purpose.

    She was chatting to them animatedly now, with a few of Steve¡¯s old war buddies chiming into the conversation. Thor retrieved a flask of something from his pocket and Wanda¡¯s eyes lit up. The thunder god smiled indulgently as he added some of whatever ridiculously strong liquor was inside to their glasses. While Nat wasn¡¯t too worried about the super soldiers¡¯ metabolisms, whatever it was would almost certainly knock Wanda on her ass. One of Steve¡¯s elderly friends, rather unwisely, insisted on trying it as well.

    Natasha only hoped that the Asgardian liquor didn¡¯t take Wanda out completely¡ªshe wanted her tipsy or drunk before she made her approach, not unconscious.

    She had been steadily putting together psychological profiles of the twins. Pietro was closed off and volatile, potentially dangerous, and was currently feeling isolated from his sister, if she even was his sister. Any friendly approach would be a difficult, uphill battle and it¡¯d be easy to accidentally provoke him and make him lash out, especially given his obvious hatred toward Tony.

    Wanda, on the other hand, presented an opportunity. After New Delhi, Steve¡¯s debrief of what had happened in Bucharest and Kathmandu, and Wanda¡¯s interactions with the team over the last few days, what Nat had ended up with was a picture of an extremely isolated, lonely girl, seemingly in the midst of an identity crisis, reaching out for connections and desperately trying to do the right thing.

    There was also something more there. Wanda was extremely invested in building a relationship with the Avengers, despite the difficulties they¡¯d had so far. The way she spoke to and about them was overly familiar, as if she was talking to people she¡¯d known for years. Nat¡¯s theory so far was linked to the visions of the past and future that Wanda claimed to have had¡ªif Wanda actually had seen significant portions of each of their lives, there might be a parasocial aspect to their relationship that everyone else was overlooking. Nat didn¡¯t think Wanda just wanted to be allies because they were the good guys. Rather, she¡¯d seen them during their most vulnerable or intimate moments and developed some strong, one?sided emotional bonds with them. As far as Nat could tell from their brief interactions, Wanda genuinely seemed to like all of them¡ªeven Tony, though she was trying to hide it rather poorly with a standoffish false front.

    Above all else, Wanda was dangerous. Even discounting whatever she might know about the past and future, she had potent abilities at her disposal, including mind control. Her time with HYDRA had left her with emotional trauma that she was bottling up and she tended to lash out without thinking when she felt trapped. She needed to be managed carefully, and Nat was nothing if not an expert in managing people. They needed to tie Wanda closer to them, make her more compliant and willing to compromise. When it came right down to it, she was an easy target¡ªshe was already eager to build a relationship with the team and had been flirting rather openly with Steve and Barnes. There was also the comment she¡¯d made in New Delhi¡­ If Nat¡¯s assumptions were right, Wanda would be very receptive to her tried and tested approach.Stolen story; please report.

    Nat continued to watch the small group. It didn¡¯t take long for the vet to need some assistance from Tony¡¯s hired help in order to stagger away, but Wanda seemed strangely tolerant of the Asgardian brew and, once she was finished, Thor obligingly poured her another measure. Nat frowned to herself.

    The files they¡¯d gotten from HYDRA had indicated that Wanda was average, physiologically speaking. During the debrief, Steve had noted that Wanda had successfully tackled and pinned Barnes, which, looking at the size of the woman, seemed improbable without something else going on. Since leaving HYDRA, Wanda had already managed to surprise them with the portals she conjured, linked to the odd two-fingered ring she carried. Had she obtained some degree of physical enhancement as well, or was it another manifestation of her nebulous ¡®magic¡¯? From her posture, Wanda was starting to feel some of the effects of the alcohol but¡ªat least from a distance¡ªshe still seemed remarkably sober considering the sheer amount she¡¯d had to drink so far.

    Nat excused herself from the conversation she¡¯d been ignoring and glided down the stairs, drawing more than a few lingering glances from people as she passed them by. As she walked, she saw Wanda wiggling her empty glass at Thor and hitting him with an exaggerated set of puppy dog eyes. The thunder god blinked in surprise at the request, smiling uncertainly before acceding the contents of the flask for a third time. Tony appeared at his shoulder a few moments later, asking a question, and the two of them wandered away, leaving Steve, Barnes, and Wanda alone at the table.

    As Nat approached her from behind, she heard Wanda lower her voice conspiratorially. ¡°So uh, guys, have the two of you ever wanted to visit the Eiffel Tower¡­?¡±

    Barnes immediately choked on his drink, eyes wide, looking for all the world like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck. Steve, on the other hand, just looked puzzled. ¡°I did back in the day, but I hadn¡¯t really thought about it recently. Oh, we could, couldn¡¯t we? We could just duck out for five minutes and you could¡ª¡±

    Barnes¡¯ head whipped around to stare at him, a suitably mortified expression on his face as he stumbled over his words. ¡°Uh, Steve, I don¡¯t think she means¡­ I mean¡­ uh.¡±

    Unable to help the smile of amusement on her face, Nat chose to be merciful and step in. ¡°Hey guys, having a good night?¡±

    Wanda¡¯s brow creased irritably at the interruption, but almost instantly smoothed again as she turned and caught sight of Natasha. ¡°Holy shit, Nat,¡± she murmured to herself, reddening slightly when she realised that she¡¯d spoken aloud. ¡°Sorry, you just¡­ you look amazing.¡±

    Natasha smirked coyly. ¡°You scrub up pretty well yourself,¡± she teased, and was rewarded with another slight flush rising in Wanda¡¯s cheeks. From the other side of the table, Barnes shot her a grateful look and she gave him a slight, almost imperceptible nod. ¡°Mind if I steal Wanda for a bit?¡± she asked Steve.

    He smiled faintly, unsure of her intentions, but made a ¡®she¡¯s all yours¡¯ gesture with a hand. Nat slipped her arm into Wanda¡¯s, using the crook of her elbow to guide her away. Though the other woman tried to hide it, Nat noticed Wanda¡¯s small, sharp intake of breath as the bare skin of their arms touched.

    Their destination was one of several tall, round bar-style tables scattered around the periphery of the room, with a pair of high stools beside it. ¡°You know, you shouldn¡¯t tease Steve like that,¡± Nat scolded lightly as she smoothly deposited Wanda in one chair and moved to her own. ¡°He¡¯s been frozen for seventy years; he¡¯s still catching up.¡±

    Wanda let out an amused snort, but averted her eyes, looking slightly embarrassed. ¡°Who¡¯s teasing? You know what they say¡ªyou don¡¯t ask, you don¡¯t get.¡±

    ¡°Behave,¡± Nat said warningly, the corner of her mouth quirking upward in a mischievous smile. ¡°Or I might have to tie you up again.¡±

    Wanda blinked and looked at her, slightly surprised. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if that¡¯s a threat or a promise,¡± she said, tracing the rim of her glass with a finger as she tilted her head questioningly. ¡°Getting some mixed signals here.¡±

    Nat laughed. ¡°You¡¯re having a good night, then?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been fantastic. Pietro¡¯s off causing trouble somewhere, which is concerning, and I think I¡¯ve permanently been taken off Jessica¡¯s Christmas card list but apart from that¡­ yeah, it¡¯s been really nice. I haven¡¯t had a chance to relax like this in a while.¡±

    ¡°I know what you mean. Everything¡¯s been pretty hectic since SHIELD fell; there were all those congressional hearings, then we were chasing our tails looking for the sceptre, raiding HYDRA base after HYDRA base¡­ I know we¡¯ve got some other things on the horizon, but it¡¯s good to be able to just take a breather.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ and at least I didn¡¯t fuck everything up this time.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve just been trying to do what you thought was right,¡± Nat reassured her.

    ¡°I have, but I¡¯ve been making stupid mistakes. Some of them haven¡¯t been completely my fault¡ªI couldn¡¯t have predicted the way the Ancient One would react to me¡ªbut others, like Wakanda, were just¡­¡± Wanda let out a long sigh, her shoulders drooping.

    Nat reached across the table and touched her hand, letting her fingers linger there. ¡°I get it. I know what it¡¯s like to have done things you aren¡¯t proud of.¡±

    A pang of guilt flashed across Wanda¡¯s features as she looked at Natasha. ¡°No, Nat¡­ I¡­ it¡¯s not the same. I¡¯ve had a rough time lately, but compared to everything you¡¯ve been through? It¡¯s basically nothing.¡± Nat felt Wanda¡¯s hand twitch under her fingers. ¡°Ugh, I hate this. I¡¯m sorry. It must feel so invasive, knowing I¡¯ve seen parts of your life.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to people knowing private things about me. Everyone¡¯s read my SHIELD files these days. I am the one who leaked them, after all.¡±

    Wanda shook her head, her brow furrowed. ¡°There¡¯s a massive difference between reading your file and actually seeing¡­ ugh. I wish I could explain it in a way that didn¡¯t sound crazy.¡±

    Simple, easy. A little bit of sympathy, a little bit of interest, and Nat didn¡¯t even really need to try to get Wanda to open up. ¡°But that makes it worse, doesn¡¯t it?¡± she asked softly.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯ve seen it, then you know what sort of person I am,¡± Nat said as she looked down and to the side, letting a little bit of sadness and self-loathing leak into her voice. It was a calculated choice, yes, but she didn¡¯t need to feign those emotions¡ªgenuine ones would always ring truer in any case. ¡°The things I¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡°Most of what happened to you was done to you, not something that was your fault. And everything you¡¯ve done, that you¡¯ve chosen to do, you¡¯ve done because you had to.¡± There was a fierce edge underlying Wanda¡¯s tone. She believed what she was saying. ¡°You¡¯re a phenomenal, incredible person and no one else would have made it as far as you have in the same circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Laying it on a little thick, aren¡¯t you?¡± Nat asked, but she was smiling. She still wasn¡¯t sure if Wanda was telling the truth when she talked about having seen their pasts and futures, but she would be lying to herself if she didn¡¯t admit that it was nice to hear that. Steve and the others would say the same things, but they didn¡¯t have the perspective that Wanda claimed to have.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Wanda hedged. ¡°But it¡¯s true.¡±

    Natasha held her gaze for a few moments, idly tracing a slow pattern with the tip of a finger on the back of Wanda¡¯s hand. ¡°It must be lonely, having seen so much but not being able to reach out to people without worrying you¡¯ll drive them away.¡±

    ¡°¡­yeah, it has been.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re such an incorrigible flirt?¡± Nat teased.

    Wanda flushed and broke eye contact, looking down. ¡°Maybe. Hey, it¡¯s not my fault that there are a lot of extremely attractive Avengers and Avengers-adjacent people.¡±

    ¡°Heh, true enough I suppose.¡±

    ¡°I mean, Steve, Bucky, Thor, Sam¡­ Bruce isn¡¯t my type, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯d kick him out of bed. His cousin, though, the lawyer? Oof, she¡¯s pretty. She¡¯s in LA though. Jessica scrubs up nice, though the alcoholism¡¯s an issue. Clint, well¡­ you know Clint¡¯s situation, Auntie Nat.¡± Nat schooled her face carefully, hiding her reaction at the other woman¡¯s careless revelation that she knew about Clint¡¯s family. Wanda looked back up at her shyly. ¡°Then there¡¯s you.¡±

    ¡°Me, huh?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Wanda paused, eyeing her appreciatively as she bit her bottom lip. ¡°¡­I¡¯d apologise for staring but I am not looking respectfully.¡±

    Nat grinned and shook her head. ¡°Romantic entanglements can be tricky in our line of work. For someone from outside our world, outside of¡­ all this,¡± she said, gesturing around the room. ¡°It can be difficult for someone to really understand you. But getting involved with someone you work with can get really messy.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I mind getting a little messy.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Nat chuckled warmly. ¡°I suppose I don¡¯t, either.¡± She held Wanda¡¯s gaze again as she deliberately crossed her legs under the table, letting the side of her foot rest against the inside of the other woman¡¯s ankle.

    Wanda¡¯s breath quickened, her eyes flicking downward for a fraction of a second, as though she thought for a moment that she¡¯d be able to see through the table. ¡°God, you¡­¡± she trailed off, unable to articulate whatever she wanted to say.

    ¡°Me what?¡± Nat asked, dropping her voice into a huskier, more sultry register.

    It¡¯d been a little while since Natasha had flirted with another woman¡ªeven while working for SHIELD, almost all of her targets were men and she hadn¡¯t really been truly interested in anyone since she defected. All that aside, this was refreshingly fun. Wanda was actually rather cute when she was flustered. Under the table, Nat¡¯s foot moved upwards slowly, tracing its way up to the inside of the younger woman¡¯s knee.

    ¡°You¡­ you.¡± Wanda grabbed the edge of the table with her free hand and inhaled sharply as the toe of Nat¡¯s black stiletto reached her inner thigh.

    Nat shot her a questioning look, another teasing smile playing across her lips as she suddenly withdrew her foot and straightened up into a more ¡®proper¡¯ posture. ¡°What? Is something wrong?¡± she asked innocently.

    Wanda shot her an incredulous look, her cheeks flushed and eyes wide. ¡°And you called me incorrigible.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    Wanda chuckled, smiling widely, then stopped suddenly and sighed, a conflicted expression passing across her face. ¡°There are so many things I want to tell you about, but I need to be careful. And I,¡± she paused for dramatic effect, ¡°am drunk¡ªfinally¡ªand I don¡¯t want to fuck things up by saying stuff without thinking it through.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here if you need to talk. Doesn¡¯t need to be about your visions stuff¡­ if you just want to chat, we can.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. I appreciate it.¡± Wanda¡¯s expression became brittle and she shot Nat a rueful smile. ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing, by the way. This¡­ it¡¯s nice. I¡¯m enjoying it. But I know why you¡¯re doing it.¡±

    ¡°I know. You¡¯re not silly. But it¡¯s not just that,¡± Nat said, smiling faintly as she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m enjoying it, too.¡±

    --

    I peered up at Natasha through sleepily-lidded eyes, trying not to make any unseemly noises as she absently massaged my scalp with one hand, her fingertips tracing electric trails through my hair. It was hours later¡ªI had no idea exactly how long, having completely lost track of time somewhere between my second and third dram of the Asgardian thousand-year-old liquor¡ªand the guests had slowly filtered out until only the Avengers, Maria, Bucky, Rhodey and Pietro and I remained.

    The group lounged on and around a central set of couches around a pair of low coffee tables, chatting amiably. Mjolnir rested on one of the tables, nestled between discarded drinks and other party detritus. When Nat and I had first relocated to talk to the others, I¡¯d sat down on the couch next to her, then slowly and not-at-all-subtly snuggled into her, seeing how far I could get before she gave me any indication I was pushing my luck. Natasha, however, seemed to take this as a challenge and I had somehow ended up sprawled in a probably-inappropriate, definitely-undignified puddle, my head resting comfortably in her lap¡ªshe almost seemed smug, somehow, like she was the one who¡¯d won.

    I couldn¡¯t think of a time I¡¯d been happier than I was right now. This was it, wasn¡¯t it? The fantasy. The best-case scenario. I¡¯d finally made it. I turned my head slightly so I could track the conversation a bit better.

    ¡°¡®Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power!¡¯ Whatever man! It''s a trick,¡± Clint said dismissively.

    Oh, they were having this discussion. I tuned them out a bit as Thor offered to let the other man try to lift Mjolnir, focusing instead on looking over at where Pietro was sitting, slightly back from the others, perched on a stool that had been dragged over from the bar.

    Though he seemed a lot more relaxed than he had been at the start of the evening, I was relatively sure that the only reason Pietro was still here was because he was keeping an eye on me. He caught me looking at him and frowned slightly when I smiled at him. Spoilsport. Just because he wasn¡¯t ending the night cradled in the lap of a beautiful woman and I was.

    ¡°Clint, you¡¯ve had a tough week,¡± Tony verbally prodded him. ¡°We won''t hold it against you if you can''t get it up.¡±

    I watched idly as Hawkeye tried and failed to lift the hammer before Stark stood up to have his turn. ¡°Oh, here we go,¡± Nat murmured above me.

    Stark, of course, failed as well. As did Rhodey¡ªthe two of them working together with their armoured hands not enough to even budge the weapon. Bruce was up next, but instead of making a seriously attempt he settled for jokingly acting like he was changing into the Hulk. I opened my eyes more fully, turning my head more to watch Mjolnir closely as Steve stepped up. There. Just a fraction, but it did move.

    Thor clocked it as well, his face breaking out into relief when it did not move any further. ¡°Nothing,¡± he laughed.

    ¡°And?¡± Tony asked.

    Bruce turned to look toward Nat and I. ¡°Widow?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. No,¡± she chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s not a question I need answered.¡±

    ¡°Pietro?¡±

    He looked at me before answering, nodding when I shrugged. ¡°Sure.¡± Stepping gingerly over to the coffee table, he grabbed the hammer¡¯s hilt with both hands.

    With great effort, I hefted myself out of Nat¡¯s lap and into a sitting position, shooting her a shy smile before focusing on Pietro¡¯s efforts. When a smooth, sustained force didn¡¯t work, he tried yanking it as hard and quickly as he could, using his enhanced speed.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to dislocate your shoulder, jerking it like that,¡± I warned him, to a round of sniggering laughter.

    ¡°Fine,¡± he grunted and gestured to it. ¡°You do it, then.¡±

    ¡°You dare me?¡± I asked, eyes flashing mischievously.

    ¡°By all means.¡±

    I pulled myself to my feet a little unsteadily and took a step toward the table. ¡°Remember that time, when I was still learning how to safely cushion my landings when boosting myself, and you dared me to jump off the top of the castle?¡± I asked.

    Pietro rolled his eyes, a hint of a smile on his face. ¡°No, I said ¡®Wanda, don¡¯t jump off the roof of the castle¡¯ and you said ¡®Don¡¯t tell me what to do, Pietro¡¯ and then you jumped off the roof of the castle.¡± There was another round of laughter from the onlookers.

    Leaning forward, I wrapped one hand around the hilt of Mjolnir, supple leather wrapped around a rock-solid, immoveable object. I didn¡¯t hold any illusions about my worthiness and a small tug confirmed that it wasn¡¯t going to budge for me. Instead, I seized hold of the magic within me and sent wispy red tendrils of power down to wrap around the weapon. ¡°Woah,¡± I breathed as I felt out the enchantment that was on it. ¡°This is¡­¡±

    By now, I was intimately familiar with the ongoing enchantments Mordo had placed on us. I¡¯d even learned to tie off my own, though I was still learning the best way to optimise my enchantments so that they didn¡¯t run out of power too quickly. This though¡­ There was a wall of some kind, a shining barrier placed around the Asgardian enchantment, presumably to prevent anyone from examining it too closely. But I could still sense enough through it to be utterly floored by the level of power and complexity on display. It was almost mesmerising and actually reminded me somewhat of my so-far surface-level uses of the Mind Stone.

    I¡¯d been a bit curious about how powerful the Asgardian¡¯s sufficiently-advanced magic was, but this was clearly orders of magnitude beyond anything else I¡¯d seen so far. The sorcerers were still playing with the equivalent of LEGOs while Odin was over here building skyscrapers. I let go of the weapon, looking at it almost reverentially as I quietly returned to my seat. The magic of the gods was not to be messed with, it seemed.

    ¡°All deference to the man who wouldn¡¯t be king,¡± Stark said dismissively, ¡°but it''s rigged.¡±

    ¡°You bet your ass,¡± said Clint.

    ¡°The handle¡¯s imprinted, right? Like a security code. ¡®Whosoever is carrying Thor¡¯s fingerprints¡¯ is, I think, the literal translation?¡±

    Thor smirked at him as he rose to his feet. ¡°Yes, well, that¡¯s a very, very interesting theory. I have a simpler one.¡± Casually, he reached out and plucked Mjolnir from its resting place as though it were the easiest thing in the world, tossing it in the air and catching it again. ¡°You¡¯re all not worthy.¡± The room erupted into a chorus of disagreements, boos, and laughter.

    --

    Sometime later, the last few stragglers were saying goodnight and shuffling off for the evening.

    Nat nudged me. ¡°You look like you¡¯re about to fall asleep. Come on, I¡¯ll walk you down to your room.¡±

    I nodded, said my goodnights to the others, and let myself be guided downstairs toward the cramped bunk that I had been staying in. As we reached the door, I gently brushed Nat¡¯s arm with my fingertips and was rewarded with seeing her shiver slightly at my touch, goosebumps raised on her skin.

    ¡°You know, my bed here is pretty small and cramped. Not a lot of elbow room,¡± I said casually. ¡°I bet you¡¯ve got a nice big comfortable bed waiting for you¡­ a big, empty, lonely bed?¡± It wasn¡¯t even intended as a lewd suggestion¡ªmostly, anyway¡ªI¡¯d be perfectly happy just being able to fall asleep in her arms.

    Natasha smiled and looked at me for a moment before responding. ¡°It is a little lonely,¡± she sighed, faux dramatically. ¡°Such a shame.¡±

    I took a step in closer, well inside her personal space¡ªshe didn¡¯t flinch back or move, meeting my gaze and looking deeply into my eyes instead. We both had green eyes. That was interesting. I¡¯d never noticed that before. I was a couple of inches taller than her, too. Leaning forward slightly, I touched her forehead with mine. A handful of charged seconds crawled past, only disturbed by the low sounds of our breathing.

    ¡°You have no idea how badly I want you right now,¡± I murmured, breaking the silence, my tone low and hungry.

    She bit her lip coyly, holding my gaze for a few moments longer, before she blinked and looked away. The corner of her mouth quirked up into a small smile. ¡°I think I have a pretty good idea, actually, but¡­ no. Not tonight, at least,¡± she said gently. ¡°At least buy me dinner first, yeah?¡± My heart leapt into my throat as she tilted her head just enough to graze my lips with hers for a fraction of a second before extricating herself with a swift, practiced motion and tapping the access panel for my room. ¡°Goodnight, Wanda.¡±

    I swallowed hard. ¡°Goodnight.¡± She grinned at me and turned away, walking back the way we¡¯d come. She glanced back over her shoulder at me as she reached the end of the corridor, shooting me another smile, then vanished out of view.

    Stepping into my room, I closed the door behind me then exhaled in a long, loud sigh. I took a few deep breaths to try to steady the pounding in my chest, then collapsed onto my bed without bothering to undress. Grabbing my pillow, I pressed my faced into it and let out a happy, muffled squeal.

 Chapter 21

    I found Pietro on the lounge balcony again the next morning, looking pensively out at the city. I¡¯d slept in, but I was usually awake before him anyway, so a late sleep-in for me meant we¡¯d actually gotten up around the same time. Still, whatever staff Tony had on the payroll to keep the place in order had been and gone already, leaving the place looking immaculate, the furniture reorganised to be more suitable for the Avengers¡¯ day-to-day. If I hadn¡¯t attended it, I wouldn¡¯t have guessed that there¡¯d been a party here last night at all. Pays to be a billionaire, I guess.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I said as I walked up the stairs toward him. ¡°Found a favourite spot to mope already, huh?¡±

    ¡°You looked like you found a favourite spot last night, too.¡± He glanced at me as I approached, a hint of annoyance in his tone.

    ¡°Uh, yeah. Kind of.¡± I avoided his gaze, feeling a little heat rising in my cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem, is it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re the one who knows everything, you tell me.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want it to be a problem. But I want you to be okay with things, too.¡±

    Pietro turned back to the city skyline, his expression unreadable. At his sides, his hands balled into fists, hard enough to see the whites of his knuckles, before he leaned forward heavily against the glass wall, supporting himself using one of his forearms.

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ sometimes you do something or say something and it¡¯s like nothing ever happened. The way we¡­¡± He gestured with his free hand, fighting to find the right words. ¡°You¡¯re just¡­ Wanda. My sister. You really truly are, no matter what you think. There¡¯s too much there for that to not be true. How could you be anything else? And then other times I look at you and you¡¯re just so different and I think ¡®even she said she didn¡¯t think she was Wanda¡¯ and then I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m just a kid again, right back under that table, staring at a bomb, waiting for it to explode.¡±

    ¡°Only this time, the bomb has ¡®Wanda¡¯ written on it, not ¡®Stark¡¯,¡± I said softly and he slumped a little, letting his forehead smack against the glass. ¡°I don¡¯t think anything I can say would help. I don¡¯t want to lie to you, Pietro. I just¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡¯s true anymore.¡±

    ¡°And then there¡¯s all this.¡± He gestured backward, toward the rest of the Tower. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do here. It was always so clear before. We were going to get Stark. That¡¯s what was important, right? Killing Stark. For our parents. But now everything¡¯s all mixed up and you have this whole thing with the Infinity Stones and gods and monsters and whatever else and I don¡¯t have that. I don¡¯t know where I fit anymore or what I¡¯m supposed to do. If we¡¯re not going after Stark, what am I even doing?¡±

    Gingerly, I reached out and touched his arm. When he didn¡¯t flinch away, I stepped closer and rested my temple against his shoulder. ¡°I can¡¯t answer that for you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I know. That¡¯s the problem.¡±

    ¡°If it helps, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re still here. I wouldn¡¯t have blamed you if you¡¯d given up on me.¡±

    He scoffed. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t looking out for you, who would be? You don¡¯t do a very good job of looking out for yourself.¡±

    ¡°Asshole.¡± I snorted and shoved his shoulder.

    ¡°You love me.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ yeah. I do.¡± A brief smile touched my lips as I gazed out over the city skyline.

    ¡°Love you, too,¡± he said quietly, nudging me with his shoulder.

    ¡°So¡­ speaking of you loving me¡­¡±

    Pietro let out a long groan. ¡°Oh, God. What now?¡±

    ¡°Why does everyone always assume the worst whenever I open my mouth?¡± I grumped at him. ¡°You don¡¯t know. It could be something good.¡±

    ¡°Is it something good?¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not something bad,¡± I hedged. ¡°I just¡­ I know we¡¯ve mostly been focused on high-level stuff so far, but there¡¯s a thing I¡¯d like to do. For Nat.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. You and the Widow¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. She¡¯s manipulating me. I¡¯m not an idiot. It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m managing it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not managing it. You¡¯re thinking ¡®maybe she actually really likes me a little bit, teehee¡¯.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not a bad person. She¡¯s been through a lot,¡± I said defensively, trying to get the conversation back on course before he got it into his head to lecture me any more about my love life. ¡°Anyway, you remember what I told you about the Red Room?¡±

    Okay, yes, maybe I was hoping that Natasha¡¯s probably-feigned interest in me could be coaxed into real interest. Regardless of her past work as a spy, I found it a little difficult to believe that she¡¯d emotionlessly use herself as a honey trap these days¡ªafter everything she¡¯d been through¡ªunless there was at least a spark of actual attraction there. It might have just been wishful thinking, but last night it really had felt like there was some genuine chemistry there.

    ¡°You want to bring down the Red Room?¡±

    I paused, weighing possible approaches in my mind. I was pretty sure that reuniting and resolving things with Yelena and the rest of her ¡®fake¡¯ family would be good for Natasha and, at this stage, I didn¡¯t see a way of accomplishing that naturally. It might be more beneficial to dissemble a bit and take the long way around, even if we didn¡¯t actually have to.

    The weird chemical mind control thing that the Red Room used was a problem¡ªYelena, Nat¡¯s ¡®fake¡¯ sister, would still be under its effects unless we actually worked out a counteragent we could deploy against it or seized control of Dreykov¡¯s systems but, again, I felt like it¡¯d be better for Nat if we scooped Yelena up first and she took an active role in what came next. I knew that my chaos magic could break something like the Mind Stone¡¯s control over a person¡­ would it work to snap the Widows out of it as well? It was manipulation of chemical signals in the brain, rather than mental conditioning or direct magical mind control. I literally had no idea how these things interacted.

    ¡°I think what I¡¯d like to do is talk to Natasha, tell her the broad strokes, maybe give a suggestion or two, but then let her decide what to do. It¡¯s her life, after all.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Fine. Go ahead.¡±

    I looked over at him. ¡°Pietro, you¡¯re doing that thing where you say what I want you to say, but your tone seems mean.¡±

    He sighed again and looked at me. ¡°I just worry, is all. I¡¯ll be ready if you need me.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I pulled out my phone and tapped out a quick message: Thanks again for last night x. There¡¯s something I wanna talk to you about, if you¡¯re not busy today? ¡°I¡¯ll ask how she wants to handle it. If she wants to bring everyone in on this, we¡¯ll do that. If she just wants to keep it personal, well¡­ it¡¯ll make for a hell of a first date, at least.¡±

    Pietro snorted. ¡°I guess so. I¡¯m gonna head out. Let me know if you need anything.¡±

    He left and I sat down on a comfortable chair near the window, looking out at the city and thinking about what I was going to say to Natasha. As I watched, a large black crow landed on the exterior platform that extended from the side of the building, sleek feathers shining slightly in the sunlight. It pecked absently at the metal a few times, then seemed to look straight back at me. I smiled a little as it hopped closer, turning its head this way and that as it checked out its reflection on the side of the building. I always did like birds.

    A few minutes later, my phone beeped as Nat responded to my message: Sure x. Now good?

    I messaged back to say I was in the Tower lounge, then settled in to wait. Nat didn¡¯t take long to arrive, dressed casually in a simple black top and pair of dark skinny jeans, with the sort of casually effortless-looking, slightly-messy-yet-perfect hair and ¡®natural¡¯ makeup that had probably taken half an hour to get right.

    ¡°Hey you. How are you feeling this morning?¡± she asked with an easy smile, settling into the chair next to me.

    ¡°Good. Great, even. Last night was¡­ really nice.¡±

    ¡°It was.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything else right away, just continued to sit and look out over the Manhattan skyline. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nat doing the same. She seemed perfectly relaxed and content to sit in silence with me for a little bit. It was comfortable. Nice. After a couple of minutes, I sighed and turned to face her. She noticed my serious expression and mirrored the movement, shifting her chair slightly so she could face me more comfortably.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­ just let me start by saying that this has nothing to do with last night. It¡¯s something I was going to talk to you about anyway.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Nat said, watching me carefully.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you a few things. Some of them are probably going to upset you and some of them you¡¯re probably not going to believe right away, either. Just¡­ I think it¡¯s really important that you know them. I don¡¯t want you to get angry with me, but I¡¯ll understand if you do. Please just let me say what I need to say and then it¡¯ll be up to you how you want to deal with it all.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ that sounds reasonable.¡± The corner of her mouth lifted in a slightly concerned smile. ¡°Do I need to be worried here?¡± She looked calm and ready for anything I had to say, but I already knew that she wouldn¡¯t be prepared for this.

    ¡°Dreykov is alive.¡± Natasha was normally extremely good at masking her reactions, but her eyes widened and her body went completely still as I said it. I forged ahead. ¡°The Red Room is still active. After you defected, they developed something more dangerous to keep the Widows in line. You went through psychological conditioning when you were there, this is different¡ªchemical subjugation of brain functions. It¡¯s basically full-on scientific mind control. They can¡¯t resist or break out of it on their own at all. He has Widows close to key political and economic figures all over the world.¡± I paused, gauging her reaction, then gave a small, encouraging gesture to indicate that she could respond if she wanted to.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± She paused, masking a slight unsteadiness in her tone by appearing to consider her words carefully. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Dreykov¡¯s dead. It took almost destroying an entire city just to get to him.¡±

    ¡°Budapest. You and Clint. I know. You imploded a building to get him. Had a rough time getting out of the city afterwards. Even so¡­¡±

    ¡°Even so¡­ you¡¯re telling me you think he¡¯s still alive?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think. I know. I¡¯ve seen it. His daughter is, too,¡± I said softly, wincing slightly as the words came out. There was no easy way to drop that one. ¡°She¡¯s not well¡ªlook at who her father is, how could she be?¡ªbut she¡¯s definitely alive, at least.¡±

    Nat looked away from me, what I thought was a real crack appearing in her composure. I stayed quiet, letting her process the statement. The fact that her target¡¯s young daughter had been collateral damage in Natasha¡¯s defection to SHIELD had been a heavy weight on her conscience ever since. ¡°That can¡¯t be true,¡± she said eventually. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°It is. I¡¯m sorry. I know this is a lot. Just a few more things, and then I¡¯ll go get a coffee or something. Let you have some time to yourself so you can think.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°They have Yelena. She never got out.¡±

    Nat continued to avoid looking at me, choosing to stare out over the city instead. Her face stayed carefully blank, but it was clearly artificial, a mask that betrayed conflicting emotions roiling below the surface. ¡°¡­I thought that she did. That she was living a normal life somewhere.¡±

    ¡°She still thinks of herself as your little sister. Your family might have been fake, but it was real to her. Real to all of you, I think, to a degree. She loves you and I know you care about her, too.¡± I found myself struck by my earlier conversation with Pietro, my own ¡®fake¡¯ family. Despite the circumstances, what we had was real, too¡ªthat was what he had been trying to articulate.

    Another few seconds of tense silence stretched out before Nat responded. ¡°Wow.¡± There was a slight quaver in her voice. She swallowed hard and licked her lips anxiously. ¡°You are just not pulling your punches here, are you?¡±

    I paused for a moment, a tight feeling in my chest. I knew going in that this was going to be painful for her, but it was upsetting to see her disarmed like this. Just a little more and then I¡¯d leave her to collect her thoughts. ¡°I don¡¯t know where the Red Room is. They have a literal flying base, like one of SHIELD¡¯s helicarriers. It moves constantly. We could try to find it and Dreykov directly, but it might be tricky. There is someone, though, who I know could help us find it.¡±

    Natasha finally looked back at me, holding my gaze for a few moments. ¡°Alexei.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I have some suggestions about what we could do. But they¡¯re just that: suggestions. This is your story. Your demons. No one else gets to decide this for you. If you feel like you need to take care of this alone, that¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t tell anyone else. If you want me there, I¡¯ll follow your lead. Whatever you need, I¡¯m here. If you want to bring in the whole team, we can do that, too. I¡¯ll let you think about it.¡±

    I started to stand up, but Nat reached out and touched my knee. ¡°Wait.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Okay. Say I believe you. Say Dreykov is alive and the Red Room still exists. You have suggestions. What are they?¡±

    Taking a deep breath, I laid out the basic gist of what I wanted to propose. ¡°First, we abduct Yelena with a portal. Kill two birds with one stone: rescue her and find out more about the mind control at the same time. We need to see if we can counteract it¡ªeither Tony and Bruce can try to come up with a scientific solution, or, if you¡¯ll let me, I can try. I had good results with Bucky, but this is a bit different. Second, we abduct Alexei. He doesn¡¯t know how to find the Red Room directly, but he can lead us to Melina¡­ she still works for Dreykov as a scientist. With all three of you there, given the chance, I think she¡¯ll defect. She can lead us to the Red Room and then we hit them hard and fast. We¡¯ll have to fight our way in¡ªit''s heavily guarded and there¡¯s the Widows to contend with. Then, we locate Dreykov and kill him. If we can take his computer systems intact, Tony and Bruce can figure out a way to free all the Widows¡­ and that¡¯s about it.¡±

    Nat gave a small, disbelieving snort. ¡°That simple, huh?¡±

    ¡°That simple. Like I said, though, I¡¯ll follow your lead on this one. Genuinely, Nat. Whatever you need.¡±

    ¡°¡­I thought Melina was dead, too.¡±

    ¡°She isn¡¯t.¡±

    She sighed heavily. ¡°¡­do we need Alexei? Can¡¯t we skip the middle-man?¡±

    ¡°If you know where Melina is, sure. If you¡¯re asking why I¡¯m not suggesting we abduct her with a portal like with Yelena and Alexei, it¡¯s for the same reason I¡¯m not saying we should just abduct Dreykov,¡± I hedged, shrugging my shoulders. ¡°I can call up portals through association, but I still need to have a strong connection to leverage. I only saw tiny bits and pieces of the two of them. Yelena and Alexei I saw plenty of, I can definitely work with them. Melina and Dreykov, not so much.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a total lie. I couldn¡¯t recall if a location was named for Melina¡¯s farm, so I had no idea where to look for it, and really didn¡¯t think I could remember enough of Melina or Dreykov to build a strong or accurate enough picture of them in my mind to portal to them or track them with the Mind Stone, but I could try and it still might work. If Nat pushed me on this¡ªif she asked me directly to try¡ªI¡¯d cave, but if there was a chance I could reunite her with her entire ¡®fake¡¯ family so they could talk and get some closure, I wanted to take it. Natasha wasn¡¯t really the type of person I could just say that to directly, though.

    She nodded, looking pensive. ¡°Alright. Let me just¡­ think this through.¡± As I stood up and started to leave, she reached over again and touched my hand, looking up at me seriously. ¡°Wanda¡­ thank you.¡±

    ¡°Thank me after you put a bullet in Dreykov¡¯s skull.¡±

    --

    ¡°You want to go after them in New York? Right under the Avengers¡¯ noses? I had thought perhaps your little HYDRA phase was a one-off, Wolfgang, but perhaps I misjudged your intellect after all,¡± Zemo said with a frown.

    ¡°Unless we position ourselves to capitalise on opportunities as they develop, the twins will escape our grasp entirely.¡± Strucker shrugged, feigning nonchalance. He would not so easily abandon Loki¡¯s sceptre, though he was keeping the existence of that particular item to himself for the time being. ¡°And Sokovia will get nothing.¡±

    Strucker had been incredibly relieved when the signals from the twins¡¯ subdermal tracking chips had still been functional¡ªDr List had obfuscated the presence of the devices by implanting them during a period of intensive physical examinations, ensuring that the twins were unaware of their presence, but there was always the possibility that they would think to check themselves, or that some aspect of their powers or the sceptre would render the delicate chips inoperative.

    At first, the signals had made no sense¡ªzipping from one side of the globe to the other¡ªand he¡¯d thought the trackers had malfunctioned, but it had soon become clear when compared with intel gleaned from Zemo¡¯s intelligence network that the twins had obtained some form of instantaneous movement. Perhaps they had unlocked some leftover power from the Tesseract¡¯s interactions with the sceptre to teleport themselves? Or had they perhaps made some other discovery to enable such a thing? It was utterly fascinating and Strucker was eager to learn exactly what his greatest achievements had been up to while they were separated. Just on its own, instant worldwide transportation would be a massive boon to what remained of HYDRA, should it be replicable.

    Zemo looked at him with narrowed eyes, a calculating expression on his face as he absently rubbed the thumb and forefinger of his left hand together. ¡°Say I were to entertain your suggestion. What would you propose?¡±

    ¡°There are risks involved, yes, but HYDRA still has significant investments in New York that I can leverage. There are a few useful idiots at Hammer Industries still on my payroll. The headquarters is in Queens and has some impressive facilities, only one step down from what Stark himself has to hand. We also have connections to the local criminal underworld, should further muscle be required. Between them, we¡¯ll be able to secure a base of operations, security, weapons and the tech we¡¯ll need.¡±

    ¡°And then what?¡±

    Initially, when the twins¡¯ trail had led directly to Avengers Tower in New York, Strucker had thought they were making their move¡ªa decapitation strike against their hated enemies. He¡¯d been caught utterly by surprise when reports came through that no altercation had taken place and that the twins appeared to now be staying in the Tower as guests, free to come and go as they pleased. It just did not mesh at all with what he knew of Wanda and Pietro, to willingly ally themselves with the man that they held personally responsible for the deaths of their parents.

    ¡°Then we watch their movements and wait for an opportunity to inevitably present itself,¡± he said, projecting confidence into his voice.

    Zemo continued to stare at him for a few more moments, weighing his decision, before he sighed and gestured irritably. ¡°Very well. We¡¯ll establish a base of operations, as you say, and if I am satisfied by the arrangements and if an ¡®opportunity¡¯ arises, I will assess the situation and determine whether the risk is worthwhile. While you may be nursing a grudge against them, our government has little appetite for foolhardy plans that may antagonise the Avengers.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Helmut. I wouldn¡¯t dream of moving without your say-so.¡±

    Strucker did not know the twins¡¯ game just yet, but once they arrived in New York, Hammer Industries should have the spectrometers available to start sweeping for gamma radiation to confirm the location of Loki¡¯s sceptre and¡ªunless it was locked in a shielded subbasement of Avengers Tower¡ªthey should be able to get a good idea as to its specific location. Once he knew where the sceptre was, he could organise a plan of attack.

    After that¡­ well, he was already beginning to tire of the shortness of the leash that Zemo had him on and he suspected that the man intended to turn on him once the twins were in hand in any case. It behoved him to act first and secure the future of HYDRA under his continuing benevolent leadership. He would have to make arrangements with Rumlow¡­ carefully and quietly, of course. Zemo was a dangerous man in his own right, and it would not do to underestimate him.

 Chapter 22

    My footsteps were oddly muted as I slowly took in my surroundings, passing through what looked for all the world like an Impressionist painting of a lightly forested suburban street. Late afternoon yellows and oranges were dappled across the scenery as the light from an unseen sun filtered through the branches of the trees surrounding the few houses I could see. Unidentifiable ambient noises tickled at the periphery of my hearing, suggesting the laughter of children intermingled with other sounds of quiet, suburban life like the bark of dog or the passage of the occasional car.

    If I turned my head too quickly, the colours and shapes smeared together like wet paint. It was odd, the seemingly extreme contrast between the two mental landscapes I¡¯d explored thus far¡ªBucky¡¯s had been solid, oppressive, and constricted, whereas Yelena¡¯s was open and impermanent, my surroundings constantly shifting in small ways. Looking up, the sky eventually faded away into an empty white void, and peering down the street I could see that everything eventually just blended together into an unrecognisable blob of colour.

    The house in front of me was the realest-seeming one I could see; a homely two-storey affair with a driveway sloping down to a lock-up garage under the house. A pair of child-sized bicycles lay discarded on the front lawn, near a path that led down the side¡­ something about it drew me forward. The manicured lawn gave way to hard-packed earth scattered with fallen leaves. I ducked past a large, ivy-covered tree and came to a backyard sheltered by the surrounding forest. Around the periphery of the area were some scattered garden furnishings, stacked high with empty pots, and a large, aged wooden slide and swing set.

    Sitting in the swing was a small blonde girl, seemingly no more than five or six years old, wearing a pair of grubby pink shorts and a pink-and-white striped top¡ªshe was the only thing I¡¯d seen since entering that was as solid-looking as I was. She was kicking listlessly at the dirt below her, her shoes caked with dirt and dust, but perked up when she saw me, eyes wide.

    ¡°Hello!¡± I said, giving her a little wave and a tentative smile.

    The girl clutched the chains of the swing tightly, leaning back to hide her face behind one of them. ¡°Hi.¡±

    ¡°Is your name Yelena?¡±

    She nodded slowly, looking unsure. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not supposed to talk to strangers.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not a stranger. I¡¯m one of Natasha¡¯s friends.¡± Pursing my lips, I whistled in a long call.

    Little Yelena¡¯s face lit up instantly and she whistled a response. Taken together, the whistles were the sisters¡¯ secret signal to each other. I didn¡¯t know the full significance of it, but I knew it was important to the two of them. ¡°You know where Natasha is?!¡± she asked excitedly, dropping from the swing. ¡°I miss her so much!¡± As she spoke, dozens of fireflies lit up behind her, threading and bobbing lazily through the trees at the back of the yard, leaving momentary afterimages in the air like streaks of paint.

    ¡°She¡¯s waiting for us. I can take you to her, but there¡¯s something I need to do here first,¡± I said, looking around. I wasn¡¯t really sure how to proceed from here. In Bucky¡¯s mental landscape, the confined space had actually worked to my advantage, presenting only very limited ways forward. Here, though, my options were less clear.

    Out in the real world, Nat was standing by vigilantly over us, in case I triggered an incident like I did with the Winter Soldier and the captive Widow was able to circumvent her restraints. Several of the other Avengers were close by, monitoring from another room, but I¡¯d warned them that Yelena might be psychologically fragile coming out of the mind control and that it would be better to minimise our direct audience for her comfort.

    The second the portal to abduct Yelena had opened beneath her, Stark had hit her with a pulse of electromagnetic energy, frying her comms and the tracking chip implanted in her leg. After she was restrained and I¡¯d put her to sleep, the chip had been quickly removed and Tony was busy spoofing a signal to make it look like she¡¯d been incapacitated and captured, so that anyone Dreykov sent after her would be going on a long and fruitless wild goose chase.

    Bruce was running tests to see if they could reverse the effects of the chemical subjugation and create a counteragent, but that would take time¡ªdays at the very least, and Natasha had concerns about leaving it too long before going after Dreykov. He was extremely paranoid, and while a single Widow disappearing might not send him into a complete lockdown, he¡¯d investigate and the longer we left the more likely he¡¯d pick up on something. If the man got even the slightest whiff of actual danger, who knew what contingencies he¡¯d invoke?

    There had been no guarantee that I¡¯d be able to undo whatever the chemical agent had done to Yelena, but after some discussion it had been agreed that it was worth trying despite the doubts that some of the Avengers still had around my mental powers. It had been Steve and Bucky that had clinched it, with Natasha willing to extend me the benefit of the doubt because of the trust they were willing to show me. I had suspected that Nat would bring the team in on this¡­ While I was working on reuniting her with her old ¡®fake¡¯ family, she had a new family now. We¡¯d had a team briefing where I¡¯d laid out what I remembered¡ªthere wasn¡¯t anything I felt like I needed to tiptoe around with this, so I just gave all the details I could recall. Natasha was satisfied with my suggested approach, so we agreed to just refine it as needed on the fly. And now I was here, in Yelena¡¯s mind.

    I hunkered down, bringing myself to eye level with the little girl so I could talk to her more easily. ¡°I need to find something. Some bad people came and took over everything and I need to find them or what they did. Can you help me?¡±

    Yelena squeaked in surprise and nodded. ¡°I think I know where they are!¡± Without waiting for a response, she shot past me to the back door of the house, flinging it open and disappearing inside.

    I lost sight of her as I made to follow, entering the house. It was homey and warm inside, packed with the detritus and accumulations of what outwardly appeared to be a generic, ordinary loving family. The details remained indistinct, giving me only impressions as they smeared and warped, so I shook my head and continued on, following the sounds of Yelena¡¯s passage. An open door in the kitchen had a set of stairs leading down and I followed the girl¡¯s footsteps down into the basement.

    The stairs led down to a small, empty room with concrete walls, lit with an artist¡¯s impression of a bare bulb hanging from a cord. Yelena stood opposite me, standing on a chair from the dining room¡ªit wasn¡¯t clear how it had gotten down here¡ªso she could peer through a dirty glass window in a massive, bunker-like steel security door that was set into the wall. She glanced over at me as I approached. ¡°They won¡¯t let me in,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m only allowed up here. Everything else is in there.¡±

    I looked at the door carefully. There was no handle on this side, no lock to open¡­ nothing but bare sealed steel. Frowning, I walked right up to it, next to Yelena, and joined her in peering through the window. There were moving shapes on the other side, but I couldn¡¯t see exactly what they were¡ªthe glass wasn¡¯t clean and the figures beyond it were smeared beyond recognition.

    Stepping back, I tapped my chin, looking between Yelena and the door. This was just a straightforward metaphor for mind control, right? Yelena was locked out, kept up here where she couldn¡¯t affect anything. It wasn¡¯t clear what the regression to childhood signified, but kids were generally seen as powerless, and in Yelena¡¯s case this was also probably representative of the last time she was actually happy, before she was taken by the Red Room. There was no handle because this wasn¡¯t something she could open herself, just as she couldn¡¯t resist the chemical subjugation. Simple.

    I held up a hand and Yelena gasped as I called forth wisps of red energy and sent them creeping across the surface of the door, probing it for weaknesses. The little girl backed away slightly, watching me with wide-eyed awe and a touch of fear. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said absently as I focused on the door. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m a fairy. I¡¯m going to use my magic to get this open for you.¡±

    ¡°A fairy?!¡± Yelena breathed, her eyes round with wonder.

    I frowned. I couldn¡¯t find any gaps, any mechanisms that I could leverage. Could I brute force it? I started applying a steady pressure to the door, increasing it a bit at a time until I was almost shaking with effort. The door remained completely, annoyingly unmoved. I knew it was just a mental construct rather than representative of a real substance, but I had enough power at my disposal that not even vibranium could withstand me for long¡ªthis door was no joke. Absently, I touched the locket at my neck containing the Mind Stone, thinking my options through.

    Bruce had said something about the chemical working by isolating neural pathways. It was all medical technobabble to me really, but, looking at the door¡­ what was this representative of, if not an ¡®isolated neural pathway¡¯?

    I was the Scarlet Witch, potentially the most powerful magic-user in the world, and my already potent abilities were being enhanced by an Infinity Stone. Why wouldn¡¯t I be able to do this? Why couldn¡¯t I just bypass the effects of some crappy Earth-science chemical agent? When Ultron had used Loki¡¯s sceptre to control the mind of Dr Helen Cho, Wanda had freed her with just a gesture and that was the freaking Mind Stone itself she was countering. This is my element. This is where I¡¯m strongest.

    I didn¡¯t need to overwhelm the door with brute force. If the agent worked by isolating her neural pathways, then all I needed to do was make new pathways.

    I stepped over to the wall next to the door, placing both hands upon it and focusing my power through the Mind Stone, applying pressure. The wall trembled and I pulled back slightly, weighing the risks in my mind. Okay, so, what was the worst-case scenario if I tried this and it didn¡¯t work? Well, I could do irreparable brain damage and accidentally kill her.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    As I turned my head to glance over at Yelena to check on her, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and turned back to the blank wall. There was nothing. Or was there? I turned my head this way and that, deliberately letting the concrete smear in my vision. There. I felt it shift, beneath my fingertips. This place was malleable. Could I just¡­? I sent ripples of red power across the surface of the wall, using a steady, gentle rhythm to massage it into shape. It moved slowly at first, but quickened as I realised it was working and, as my focus crystallised, I started to shape the wall like it was raw clay or putty in my hands.

    After a minute, I was sweeping hands wreathed with crimson power through the once-solid-seeming concrete as easily as water, refining and changing and shaping it until I was left with a natural-looking corridor connecting the room we were in to the one beyond it, bypassing the sealed steel door.

    Yelena darted past me, running into a spacious training room with red and black flooring, a rack of modern melee weapons along one wall. Open doors lined the other walls, leading to further rooms. Whatever moving figures we¡¯d been able to see through the dirty glass window were absent now. As I stepped up behind her, I blinked and she was suddenly different¡ªa grown woman once more, wearing the sleek black tactical gear of a Widow. She turned and looked at me, a shocked expression on her face.

    ¡°Yelena?¡± I asked cautiously.

    She was breathing hard, nearly hyperventilating, looking around wildly as though she was only now seeing where she was. She looked from me to the door, then around again, spinning almost in a full circle. ¡°You¡­ how¡­ what?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re good, you¡¯re safe,¡± I reassured her, holding both hands out in a placating gesture. A storm of emotions was playing out across Yelena¡¯s face and I was pretty sure I¡¯d actually managed to successfully circumvent the chemical mind control. ¡°Okay, hold that thought, I¡¯m going to try waking you up now.¡±

    She looked at me like I¡¯d said something crazy and started to speak, but I was already withdrawing from her mind. Opening my eyes, I found myself back where I¡¯d started¡ªin the Avengers Tower medical room, Yelena¡¯s unconscious body reclining on a full-body patient chair in front of me, Natasha standing vigilantly to one side. Nat perked up as she noticed me stir, looking at me questioningly, and I shot her a hopeful grin.

    ¡°Did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°I think so. Hang on a sec.¡± I gestured toward Yelena¡¯s prone form, wisps of red energy extending from my fingertips to her temple. A moment later, her eyes flew open and she tried to jerk upwards, held back by the restraints around her wrists and ankles.

    ¡°Hey! Hey, easy,¡± Nat was at Yelena¡¯s side, one hand on her shoulder, scanning her features for any sign that she was herself rather than the Widow she¡¯d been programmed to be.

    Yelena was breathing in short, sharp gasps, looking around in confusion, much as she had been inside her mental landscape. After a moment, her eyes fixed on Nat. ¡°¡­Natasha?¡± she croaked, hope and fear warring in her voice.

    At this point I was fairly certain my job was done and it felt like it would be intrusive for me to stay. I didn¡¯t need to be here for what came next. Slipping from my chair, I quickly snuck out of the room, closing the door behind me. On the other side, Bucky and Steve looked at me questioningly, hope and faint anxiety written on their faces. I beamed at them and nodded, feeling immensely satisfied with myself.

    --

    I rapped on the door to the briefing room, waited a beat, then pushed it open. Natasha and Yelena had already seen my approach through the glass wall, so I wasn¡¯t too worried about interrupting as I stepped inside. The two of them had relocated here as a comfortable place to talk a little more privately, once everyone had been satisfied that I had indeed countered the effects of the Red Room¡¯s chemical subjugation.

    I¡¯d been surreptitiously observing them while we made the next set of preparations, peering from the lounge all the way through Tony¡¯s lab to the briefing room¡ªI really did not agree with Tony¡¯s architectural choices, but was willing to take advantage of the fact that, from the right spot, you could peek through the entire building. It had gotten quite animated between the two of them at one point, but they¡¯d settled down a bit a few minutes ago and I figured it was safe to intrude.

    ¡°Hey.¡± I lifted my hand in a small wave. ¡°We¡¯re ready when you are. How are things here? Do you need some more time?¡±

    Nat¡¯s eyes flicked back toward Yelena for a moment. ¡°I think we¡¯re good.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re good.¡± The younger Widow nodded in confirmation, though her tone still seemed a little shaky. To be fair, she¡¯d had less than two hours to come to grips with her new situation.

    ¡°Are you in or out?¡±

    ¡°In. All the way in,¡± Yelena said, a note of anger entering her voice. ¡°No way I¡¯m letting you do this without me.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this.¡±

    The two Widows followed me back out to the space we¡¯d prepared in the main lounge. We¡¯d cleared out the furniture from the centre, moving it to the sides to give us plenty of room¡ªwe¡¯d wanted a larger area to do this in, just on the off chance that a fight broke out, and we didn¡¯t have a lot of other options when it came to spaces that were both large enough and controlled enough. Thor had put off his return to Asgard to stay and help, and he was currently standing with Steve and Bucky just off to one side, alert and prepped for a fight, but the plan was for Natasha and Yelena to handle talking to Alexei. Pietro observed with feigned nonchalance from a distance, electing to watch from his apparently favourite spot on the balcony.

    Tony was with Bruce in the lab¡ªthe two of them were rather excitedly going over data from the latest scans of Yelena¡¯s brain. Apparently, I¡¯d actually rewired her brain somehow, forging new neural pathways that bypassed the connections that had been hijacked by the Red Room¡¯s chemical subjugation. Bruce was utterly fascinated and had suggested that the same method could be used to treat or even cure some currently-incurable neurological conditions. It was cool, I guess, but there was only one of me and I rather selfishly didn¡¯t really want to spend the rest of my life tinkering with people¡¯s brains.

    ¡°Ready?¡± I asked.

    Yelena pulled a face. ¡°Ugh, yes. Do we really need Alexei?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll just get what we need from him and then we never have to deal with him again,¡± Natasha said with a sigh.

    ¡°Maybe it won¡¯t be that bad?¡± I suggested. ¡°It could be nice to see him again.¡±

    They both shot me matching flat looks. ¡°Sure,¡± Yelena said, sarcasm dripping from each word. ¡°It¡¯ll be super nice to see the asshole who handed us over to Dreykov.¡±

    ¡°And here I was just starting to believe that you actually had seen the future,¡± Nat said, shaking her head, the ghost of a smile flitting across her features.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°Give me a moment.¡±

    I slipped my sling ring back onto my fingers and concentrated on my target. Alexei hadn¡¯t had a lot of screen time overall, but he was a pretty distinctive-looking guy and had been played by an actor I knew pretty well. I took a few minutes, trying to build as complete a picture as I could in my mind¡ªthe better my mental image, the faster I could open a portal, and I wanted it to open as quickly as possible.

    When I was ready, I held out my hands and focused on a point in space directly in front of me as I gestured, five feet in the air. The sparks took almost immediately, rapidly opening into a flat, horizontal portal, and a heaveyset bear of a man fell through, hitting the ground in an undignified belly-flop accompanied by a stream of Russian-sounding invectives. I dismissed the portal the second he cleared it, glancing over at Nat.

    Alexei Shostakov, the former Soviet super soldier known as the Red Guardian, pulled himself to his feet, grumbling and swearing the whole way. He was shaggy and unkempt, his scraggly beard streaked with grey. Dozens of prison tattoos of varying levels of quality peeking out and around his disgustingly sweat-stained grey singlet, which I imagined must have been white at one point. His eyes almost immediately fixed on Natasha and Yelena and widened in surprise, putting an end to his tirade. ¡°Natasha?!¡± he asked incredulously. ¡°Yelena!¡±

    ¡°Alexei.¡± Nat¡¯s tone and body language were standoffish, her arms folded defensively in front of her chest.

    ¡°Oh, oh my, I¡¯m so happy to see you, girls.¡± Alexei was seemingly completely oblivious to the hostility, his face splitting into a wide grin as he shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Wow¡­ It means so much to me that you came for me.¡±

    Yelena rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re only here because we need you, dipshit.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to tell us how to find Melina,¡± Nat said firmly.

    Alexei paused for a moment, looking at them. ¡°Huh. Look at you, all business.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, this isn¡¯t pleasure.¡±

    He scoffed and shook his head, starting to pace and look around. ¡°Little Natasha, all indoctrinated into the Western agenda¡ª¡± The large man suddenly did a double-take as he took in the Avengers watching carefully from the other side of the room, then his entire face lit up. ¡°Captain America,¡± he practically purred, his deep voice laden with the eager promise of violence. ¡°My great adversary in this theatre of geopolitical conflict. Hah! So, we meet again!¡±

    Bucky and Thor glanced at Steve, but he just looked puzzled. ¡°Sorry, have we met before?¡±

    Alexei¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the lack of recognition, then he gestured to himself frantically. ¡°It¡¯s me! The Red Guardian! Your Soviet contemporary!¡±

    ¡°I mean, yes, I know you were the Red Guardian, Wanda and Natasha briefed us, but I don¡¯t really¡­¡± Steve gave a confused smile.

    The utter and abject hurt on Alexei¡¯s face looked completely genuine. ¡°What?! We fought in Novosibirsk! I took you by the shield and threw you out the window before making my escape, surely you¡­ this¡­¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m¡­ when was this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, like, ¡¯83, ¡¯84.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, you must have me confused with someone else,¡± Steve said, shaking his head. ¡°I was frozen. I¡¯ve only been back for three years.¡±

    Alexei¡¯s face collapsed and his shoulders slumped for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not possible.¡±

    ¡°Alexei,¡± Natasha snapped. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we don¡¯t care about your stupid rivalry.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going after Dreykov.¡± Yelena shot him a look. ¡°We need to find Mom¡­ Melina. You know where she is?¡±

    He scoffed quietly, still looking defeated. ¡°You¡¯re going after Dreykov, huh?¡±

    ¡°Just tell us where we can find Melina,¡± Nat said, at least making an effort to be patient with him.

    ¡°My friend, General Dreykov¡­ hah,¡± he nodded to himself, his face twisting into a furious scowl. ¡°He gives me glory, Soviet Union¡¯s first and only super soldier. Then he buries me in Ohio on that stupid mission, for three years! So tedious, boring me to tears.¡± At Yelena¡¯s expression, he shrugged. ¡°No offense, huh?¡±

    Lurching over to the side of the room, he dropped himself down onto one of the couches that had been dragged out of the way. I exchanged a glance with Nat and ventured a nervous smile¡ªshe was not looking particularly happy with the situation.

    Alexei gestured at the air. ¡°Then he puts me in prison for the rest of my life. Why, huh? Why? Why would he put me in prison? You know why? Because maybe I want to talk about the withering of the state. Or maybe I don¡¯t like his hair and I say something casually about that. Maybe, you know, I want the Party to feel actually like a party instead of this sourpuss organisation. But instead, no. He puts me in prison for the rest of my life. He just runs off and hides, huh? I¡¯m not even the one who, ah, you know¡­¡± He looked at Natasha, a vaguely discomfited expression passing across his face. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who killed his daughter.¡±

    ¡°His daughter¡¯s alive,¡± I said, speaking up for the first time since Alexei had arrived.

    His eyes snapped to me, as though this was the first time he¡¯d even noticed I was there. ¡°What would you know? Who the fuck are you, anyway, huh?¡± Despite his dismissal, Alexei¡¯s eyes roved up and down my body appreciatively.

    I suppressed a look of annoyance at being ogled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. What matters is we have the Avengers and we¡¯re going to destroy the Red Room and kill Dreykov. Tell us where Melina is and we¡¯ll let you in on it. You can pay him back for what he did to you.¡±

    Alexei studied me carefully, sucking on his teeth, before he looked back at Natasha and Yelena. After a moment of thought, he nodded. ¡°Melina works remotely, outside of Saint Petersburg. I can show you where.¡±

 Chapter 23

    ¡°Alright, you sure you got this, Elphaba?¡± Tony asked me, flicking a few switches on the Quinjet¡¯s main console.

    ¡°Pretty sure,¡± I said, picturing our destination in my mind. I was currently seated behind and to the left of him, at the secondary console. Holding up my hands, I focused on a point a dozen metres ahead of the aircraft. ¡°Let me know when we¡¯re good.¡±

    Red threads of energy came together in a familiar sight as a portal formed. It quickly reached the typical size I used for personal travel, but I didn¡¯t let it stop there, continuing to feed magic into my sling ring. The gateway expanded steadily, rapidly growing larger than any I¡¯d made previously. Opening a mystic portal big enough for a person had never required anything but the barest amount of effort from me, but the difficulty seemed to increase exponentially the bigger the portal got. I wasn¡¯t sure what my upper limit was at the moment, but making sure that the Quinjet had enough clearance for its wings was enough for me to start to feel a little bit of strain. Honestly, I was still a novice when it came to using the ring, though I felt like I¡¯d already gotten noticeably quicker at opening portals in general.

    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re good. Heading through.¡± Tony moved the flight stick and we surged forward, transitioning from morning to late afternoon as we travelled nearly seven thousand kilometres in an instant. ¡°Clear.¡±

    I heaved a deep breath and dismissed the portal, leaning back in the flight chair. I slapped the arms of the chair lightly with my palms as I stood up. ¡°This thing is super comfortable. Good lumbar support.¡±

    Tony snorted. ¡°It better be. You have any idea how much this bird cost?¡±

    My tried and tested Google Maps portal technique had let us select a precise starting point for our trip to Russia. After Alexei had pointed out where Melina¡¯s farm was, we¡¯d settled on a spot about sixteen kilometres (or ten miles, as the Avengers insisted on saying) outside of Saint Petersburg. The Quinjet was set to silent running and our intent was to stay low to the ground to avoid detection by anything monitoring air traffic around the city.

    I missed the tail end of a conversation between Yelena, Natasha and Alexei as I retreated back out of the cockpit, catching only the angry looks in the aftermath. Pietro, Bucky and the other Avengers were avoiding getting involved in the drama, choosing to remain relatively quiet as they performed some final checks on their gear.

    The interior of the Quinjet was sleek and surprisingly spacious, feeling and looking more like the inside of a small spacecraft than anything else. Nat caught my eye as she stepped away, ducking under a bulkhead as she headed into the compartment to my left. I followed and she let out a small huff of annoyance as I approached. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I let you talk me into this.¡±

    I sighed and dropped my voice lower, trying to minimise how many other people could hear us talking. ¡°Look, all you need to do is go in there and talk. Melina will be receptive. Don¡¯t do¡­ that,¡± I said, waved a hand vaguely in her direction.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do what?¡±

    ¡°Shut down. Close yourself off. Whatever you want to call it. All this¡­ look, I know. This is complicated and hard and you don¡¯t want to do it. But it¡¯ll work, I promise.¡±

    Natasha shot me a hard look. ¡°You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t want to do this.¡±

    ¡°Nat¡­ listen. I know that, no matter what you might say, those years that the four of you were together¡ªwere a family¡ªit meant something to you. Something real, even if you don¡¯t want to let yourself admit it,¡± I said. She set her jaw stubbornly and I rolled my eyes in response. ¡°You can deny it all you like out there, but you can¡¯t lie to me. Not about this. I already know the truth.¡±

    This was incredibly nerve-wracking, though I was trying to play it cool. This was the first real time that the Avengers had taken a gamble and acted based on my intel. If it went well, it set the stage for future cooperation. If it didn¡¯t, or I made a mistake about the key details, it would damage my credibility. Beyond that, this was incredibly personal to Natasha and I didn¡¯t want to mess things up with her, either. It felt like a tightrope act; one misstep and I¡¯d fuck everything up one way or the other.

    Nat stared at me quietly for a few moments, until I cracked a little under her gaze. ¡°What?¡±

    She sighed and shook her head. ¡°Nothing. I just¡­ I think I might have been underestimating what I was getting myself into with you.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. You¡¯re right. Maybe I do need to do this. Ugh.¡± She closed her eyes for a moment, then a small smile ghosted across her face. ¡°Is this revenge? I seduce you and you, what, force me to resolve my childhood trauma? I didn¡¯t expect you to be so vicious.¡±

    I grinned. ¡°By the way, speaking of trauma, Alexei is almost certainly going to try to fit back into his old Red Guardian suit, so have fun with that. I don¡¯t think Melina¡¯s ever washed it.¡±

    ¡°Ew,¡± she screwed up her face. ¡°Why would you tell me that?¡±

    I smirked and ducked back out of the compartment as the Quinjet landed. The rear ramp folded downward and Alexei, Yelena, and Natasha took a few more moments to confirm their readiness before heading out together.

    It had been a little bit of an uphill battle to convince Nat that this was the best way of doing this¡ªwe could have tried to take Melina by force, along with the technology at her farm, but after some discussion she¡¯d acknowledged that it would be better if we could get her erstwhile ¡®mother¡¯ to defect and help us directly. The plan was for the three of them to head in on foot, while the rest of us waited nearby and provided overwatch support if needed. What I was hoping for was that this would play out much as it had in the original timeline, just a couple of years early.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t really need to do it like this, did we?¡± Clint asked me. He was lurking off to one side, leaning casually against the edge of the main cargo compartment.

    ¡°Huh?¡± His question caught me off guard. ¡°What do you mean? We all agreed on the plan.¡±

    ¡°We did, but this¡ª¡± He gestured toward the now-closed rear door. ¡°Your little conspiracy to reunite Natasha with the only family she ever really had¡­ we didn¡¯t need to do it like this, if the goal was just to take down Dreykov and the Red Room. We had other options. But that was never just the goal, was it?¡±

    I was quiet for a moment, then shrugged. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t. Their family reunion happened naturally in the visions I had, but things have changed since then¡­ it wasn¡¯t going to happen like that anymore and I didn¡¯t want her to miss out on the opportunity to work through this. She certainly wouldn¡¯t admit to needing it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll all support her,¡± Thor rumbled from the opposite corner. ¡°Widow can be difficult to read sometimes, the way she holds herself at arm¡¯s length, but I think some part of her is grateful for the opportunity.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Clint. He looked at me thoughtfully. ¡°Maybe this is all going to work out after all.¡±

    We lapsed into relatively companionable silence as the minutes started to crawl by. At first, I was content to sit by Pietro and lean on his shoulder, but it didn¡¯t take long before I dozed off and he was nudging me back awake. The sun had finally crept below the horizon, darkening the landscape around the parked Quinjet.

    Standing up, I sighed and paced back and forth for a little while before I headed back to the front of the aircraft¡ªTony was still sitting in the main flight chair with Steve leaning back at the secondary console. ¡°Stark, I have a question.¡±

    ¡°Shoot.¡±

    ¡°You remember when you captured Loki in Germany? You flew in, Acca Dacca blasting on your speakers¡­¡±

    ¡°Acca Dacca?¡± he asked incredulously, mouth twisting in distaste.

    ¡°AC/DC,¡± I said, waving a hand dismissively. ¡°Why don¡¯t you do that sort of thing anymore? I mean, it was pretty cool.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess you could say I grew out of it.¡±

    Steve looked over at him from where he was sitting, the corner of his mouth quirking upward. ¡°It was pretty childish.¡±

    ¡°Oh, was it?¡± Tony¡¯s voice rose a little, a challenge in his tone. ¡°Was it really?¡±

    ¡°Does the Quinjet even have external speakers?¡± I asked, sensing an opportunity.

    ¡°Oh, it most certainly does. It has everything. Look, here,¡± he gestured for me to look at the main console, tapping at the touch screen. ¡°See, this accepts audio out from another device and all our phones are connected automatically to the same local network, this is the external speaker channel, the interior speaker channel¡ªover here is the encrypted channel that our earpieces are on, too¡ªand all you need to do is connect things through like this and voila.¡± He glared back at Steve, daring him to respond. ¡°You¡¯re right, it was pretty cool.¡±

    Steve just smiled again and shook his head. ¡°Getting bored?¡± he asked, looking at me.

    ¡°Getting is the wrong word. Am. Am bored.¡± I was staring at the console, trying to memorise the exact sequence of things Tony had just shown me. The Quinjet¡¯s console was ridiculously complex-looking, far more so than a regular plane. I certainly wasn¡¯t going to be flying it anytime soon, but at least knowing how to play music was cool. If an opportunity arose to arrive somewhere with theme music blaring, what would I pick? I had no idea. I¡¯d need to think it through.

    ¡°Just sit tight. Nat will check in soon,¡± Steve reassured me, but I was already on my phone, busily planning a playlist.

    Fifteen minutes later, Nat¡¯s voice came in on comms. ¡°Change of plan. Melina¡¯s defecting, but she alerted the Red Room when we first arrived. ETA sometime in the next few minutes.¡±

    Ah. I¡¯d actually forgotten that that was why they ended up with the specific plan to infiltrate the Red Room they had in the original timeline. Oh well. I didn¡¯t foresee any real trouble here in any case. We had nearly a full roster¡ªthe sole absence was Bruce, still cooped up in the lab looking at developing the mind control¡¯s counteragent¡ªand I was pretty sure that there was nothing the Red Room could throw at us that would be more than a speedbump.

    ¡°Should we intercept?¡± Steve asked.

    ¡°Negative. If anything goes wrong here, Dreykov will assume his location has been compromised and we might lose our shot at him.¡±

    Clint scoffed. ¡°You just want us to let them take you?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. Don¡¯t worry, I have a plan¡­ sort of. Tony, I¡¯m activating my duress tracker. You think you can follow us back to the Red Room without being spotted?¡±

    He frowned, nodding to himself. ¡°Only one way to find out.¡±

    --

    ¡°Alright, people, let¡¯s go over the plan,¡± Steve said as he scanned the group clustered in the Quinjet¡¯s main cargo space.

    Tony had stepped away from the cockpit, presumably leaving control of the Quinjet to the autopilot, and had suited up in the Mark 43, now repaired after our unfortunate run-in in New Delhi. Bucky was checking the sights of his rifle, while Clint and Thor stood ready with their own weapons in hand. I gestured¡ªperhaps a little more dramatically than necessary¡ªand opened a small portal, letting a vibranium spear fall from my stash into my waiting hand. Pietro stood next to me, practically vibrating with nervous energy. He cracked his neck and I shot him a look.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Our primary target is Dreykov. We need to identify his location as a priority and cut off any escape routes. Once he doesn¡¯t have anywhere left to run, we¡¯ll close the net. Tony, Thor, focus on staying mobile¡ªdisable their anti-air weapons and take out any escape aircraft while the rest of us find Natasha¡¯s team. Remember, everyone: nonlethal, disabling attacks where possible against the Widows. They¡¯re just as much a victim as anyone else. Same goes for the Taskmaster, if she¡¯s activated. Wanda, we¡¯ll need you ready for extractions. Stay close, but stay mobile. No running off on your own.¡±

    We¡¯d already made preparations for an assault on the Red Room and had a set of makeshift sealed cells back in Avengers Tower ready for me to dump in any Widows we came across until they could be freed from the chemical agent. JARVIS had the Iron Legion¡ªTony¡¯s little army of humanoid peacekeeping drones¡ªactive and ready to guard them, and Bruce was going to be keeping an eye on things while he worked as well. I was a little bummed that I was mostly being relegated to rescue duty, but if that¡¯s where Steve thought I was best utilised, I didn¡¯t want to waste time arguing. It wasn¡¯t like I expected this to be difficult considering the forces we were bringing to bear.

    ¡°Pietro, you¡¯ll be taking point, scouting only. As far as we can tell the place is shielded from scanning, so we¡¯ll need you to build us a picture of the internal layout as quickly as possible. Don¡¯t stop to engage unless you absolutely have to¡ªjust get in, scout everything and tag key locations. Find Natasha and her team, Taskmaster, Dreykov and their main computer servers.¡±

    Pietro acknowledged Captain America¡¯s instructions with a nod. It was really nice seeing him actually stepping up and taking this seriously. I¡¯d been worried, but it seemed like he was just as interested in putting a stop to the Red Room¡¯s activities and rescuing the Widows from their mental bondage as the rest of us.

    Steve nodded to himself, satisfied that we were adequately prepared. ¡°Be careful when we go after Dreykov. We don¡¯t know what the limitations of his pheromonal lock are or if it works on non-Widows, but it¡¯s fairly safe to say that it won¡¯t work on Thor and Tony¡¯s suit should provide him protection. Anyone else, stay at range, do not engage him from within 30 feet.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re coming over the Red Room now,¡± said Tony, his armour¡¯s faceplate slamming into place. ¡°I¡¯ll sweep up from the bottom, draw their attention.¡± The rear ramp of the aircraft opened, the interior space immediately filling with howling wind. I steadied my footing, hand securely tucked into some webbing on the edge of the room specifically for that purpose. With a wave, Iron Man flew out, disappearing rapidly from view.

    ¡°Thor! Want to go help clear the way?¡± Steve raised his voice so he could be heard over the wind.

    The thunder god grinned. ¡°My pleasure!¡± Striding over to the open ramp, he spun his hammer in a rapid loop before launching himself out as well.

    The ramp raised again and a few seconds later Tony¡¯s voice came in over the interior speakers. ¡°Got a visual, should be coming up on screen now.¡±

    I rushed over to the cockpit, leaning over the seat to look at the feed from his helmet¡¯s cameras. The Red Room loomed large and imposing¡ªa massive, star-like structure around a tall spire, floating impossibly in midair and partially hidden amongst the clouds. The picture blurred as Iron Man took evasive action, several projectiles of some description streaking past him. He¡¯d been spotted. Still, the camera feed refocused, providing a zoomed in, relatively stable shot of a small runway and hangar entrance.

    ¡°Got it,¡± I said, fixing the picture in my mind. I turned and immediately began spinning up a portal, red threads of energy coming together. A hole in the air appeared, linking the interior of the Quinjet directly to the outside of the Red Room. ¡°Go, go, go!¡± I could feel my power bubbling up inside me, reacting to my excitement. I was practically shouting, even though I knew I didn¡¯t need to.

    Pietro rocketed through first, followed by the rest. I waited for everyone else to clear the portal first, bouncing eagerly on the balls of my feet, then leapt through, dismissing the gateway and landing on the steel superstructure just in time to feel an explosion shiver through the floating platform. Looking around, I saw Clint line up a shot at a barely-visible control console by the side of the hangar door and hit it with an arrow. A moment later, the hangar glided open. No idea how that worked. Pietro didn¡¯t wait for the rest of us, immediately rushing ahead and into the opening.

    A dozen black-armoured soldiers, wearing featureless, face-covering helmets and carrying assault weapons, poured out in response, lining up their shots and opening fire on our position. I threw up a shield, a red curtain of energy that robbed their projectiles of momentum, and Steve rushed through, charging one of the soldiers with his shield hard enough to send the man flying back. Bucky and Clint returned fire, covering him, and I flicked my spear forward.

    Wrapped in threads of telekinetic energy, it flew through the air and impaled a soldier through the chest, overpenetrating him entirely and exiting his back in a spray of blood. He collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. I felt a twinge of guilt but gestured upward, the spear arcing up and around like a giant version of Yondu¡¯s ridiculously-deadly self-propelled arrow.

    Another group of soldiers had arrived on an elevated deck off to our right and I threaded the spear through them like they weren¡¯t even there, my enhanced reflexes giving me even more precise control than I¡¯d previously been used to. I was just glad that I was too far away to see any graphic details or hear anything more than panicked gunshots. When the spear returned to me, it was slick with blood. I left it hovering near my shoulder, unwilling to touch it again. Clint paused, staring at me for a moment in barely-disguised shock before continuing on without a word.

    A few minutes later, we were inside the Red Room proper, heading down a corridor and kicking ass as we went. In the closer quarters, I kept my spear hovering nearby and switched to grabbing at guns with telekinetic energy and yanking on them, disrupting the soldiers¡¯ aim or, in some cases, disarming them entirely and sending their weapons flying away. It wasn¡¯t too long before we met our first Widows, but they went down just as easily as the soldiers, either smacked with Cap¡¯s shield or bounced off a wall with a burst of telekinetic power. Each time, I spun up a portal and we dropped them through.

    Pietro¡¯s voice came through the comms. ¡°I¡¯ve found Yelena, she was in a medical room¡ªguards are disabled, she wants to link up with the rest of the team.¡±

    ¡°Opening a portal now,¡± I focused my thoughts, concentrating on the two of them. A moment later, Yelena had joined us, Pietro returning to his scouting mission. A group of a half-dozen Widows came around the corner a moment later and we dismantled them, sending them to the cells before continuing onward.

    ¡°Stark, I think I¡¯ve found their¡­ what do you call it, mainframe? Lots of big computer servers.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got your location. Clear the area and I¡¯ll breach.¡±

    A few minutes later, Steve touched his earpiece. ¡°Tony, what¡¯s the verdict? Can you take control of their systems?¡±

    ¡°Give me a sec, working on it.¡±

    Pietro piped up again. ¡°Something¡¯s happened. They¡¯ve caught on. Corridors just sealed, everything¡¯s locked down. What is this? Plexiglass or something?¡±

    ¡°Sit tight, kid, I¡¯ll get you out once I¡¯ve got the system under control,¡± Tony responded.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to bust it down.¡±

    I rolled my eyes and tapped my comms. ¡°Pietro, just sit tight until Stark can get them open. Don¡¯t try to break it, you¡¯ll just hurt yourself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll hurt myself?¡± There was a challenge in his tone. ¡°You think I¡¯ll hurt myself, Wanda?¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Yes. You will.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure about that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I am a hundred percent sure that you will hurt yourself if you try to bust down those doors.¡± There were a few seconds of silence, stretching out long enough that I started to worry a little bit. ¡°¡­Pietro?¡±

    ¡°Ow.¡± Pietro¡¯s voice was pained.

    Steve looked at me and I just shook my head, the corner of my mouth twitching furiously as I tried not to laugh. I touched my earpiece again. ¡°Cool, great job.¡±

    ¡°Wandaaaa¡­¡± Pietro whined.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked sarcastically. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you warn me?¡±

    ¡°What happened? Did you hurt yourself? No way!¡±

    ¡°You know,¡± Tony said, exasperated. ¡°It¡¯s nice when we keep the comms clear of unnecessary chatter.¡±

    Suddenly, a massive, muffled explosion rocked the entire structure. There was the tortured groan of rending metal beneath our feet, then the floor began to list alarmingly to one side. A moment later, Thor¡¯s voice came across the comms. ¡°Oops. That was me, sorry. We, uh, might have a problem.¡±

    Steve sighed and turned to the rest of us. ¡°Alright, new plan: Wanda, I want you back on the Quinjet providing overwatch¡ªwhen someone calls in for a portal, you extract them.¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Wait, just me? You¡¯re all going to stay?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not done yet. We don¡¯t have Dreykov and there are still Widows on board.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I guess,¡± I said, frowning. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if¡ª¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to argue, Wanda, just do it.¡±

    Suppressing a huff of annoyance, I complied, picturing the Quinjet¡¯s interior and opening a portal. Another explosion made the floor tremble, almost making me stumble as I stepped through and closed it behind me.

    I looked around the empty aircraft interior. Apart from the gentle hum of the engines, it was quiet. The spear floating quietly by my side was still slick with gore. I opened a small portal before floating it through¡ªI didn¡¯t really want to look at it right now. It had been way too easy to just¡­ how many people did I just kill? Seven or eight? I felt a little sick to my stomach, but forced the feeling away. They were firing on us. It was just self-defence, after all.

    ¡°Good news and bad,¡± Tony¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Mainframe went down, but I copied most of the data. We should have enough to reconstruct what we need.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Tony,¡± said Steve. ¡°We¡¯re closing in on Dreykov. Wanda, extraction please, we have more Widows.¡±

    I opened a portal and four unconscious women dropped through. Dismissing the first gateway, I opened a second one beneath them and they disappeared out of view, falling into the cells in Avengers Tower. This sucked. I should have been down there still, helping more directly.

    ¡°Two on your six, Cap,¡± said Clint.

    ¡°I got them,¡± Pietro responded.

    Walking to the cockpit, I looked out at the morning sky as I listened to what the others were doing. I wasn¡¯t quite sure where the Quinjet was in relation to the Red Room right now, but I couldn¡¯t see it anywhere. Frustrated, I sat down in the pilot seat and scanned over the incredibly complicated-looking console. Reaching out with both hands, I cautiously took hold of the flight stick and tried moving it slightly, but nothing happened¡ªlocked to autopilot, I guess. I wasn¡¯t really sure why I¡¯d even tried; it wasn¡¯t like I knew how to fly this thing. There was one thing I knew how to do, though. I tapped at the touchscreen, cycling through to the audio channels Tony had shown me, taking out my phone and lining up a song.

    ¡°Wanda, we need an extraction,¡± Yelena¡¯s voice came through, tight with frustration. Only slightly annoyed by the interruption, I gestured back toward the main cargo hold and spun up a portal. A moment later, Yelena and Melina stumbled through, carrying Alexei supported between them.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, a little surprised.

    ¡°He¡¯s an idiot, that¡¯s what happened. Don¡¯t close it yet!¡± Yelena dropped her half of the burden and ducked back the way they¡¯d come, leaving Melina to stagger uncertainly. I gestured again, sending wisps of red magic over to lift the heavyset man from her. She shot me a grateful look as I floated him through the air and carefully placed him on the small bunk/medical table off to one side of the hold. Yelena returned a minute later, an unconscious Widow in her arms.

    I dismissed the portal and called up another to the cells, and Yelena carefully dropped the unconscious woman through before striding up to me. ¡°Move,¡± she commanded.

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°Just get out the way, I¡¯m going to bring us around.¡±

    I acquiesced, letting Yelena take control of the Quinjet, and stalked grumpily back to the cargo compartment where Melina was leaning over Alexei, stroking his hand. ¡°Is he okay?¡± I asked.

    She nodded, a faint smile on her face. ¡°It will take more than that to put him down. He¡¯ll be back up in no time.¡± She paused and looked up at me, her head tilted curiously. ¡°You are the one with the portals, yes? You have been extracting the Widows? How many, so far?¡±

    That was actually a good question. I thought for a minute. ¡°Maybe twenty.¡±

    Her face fell slightly. ¡°Even discounting those already out on missions, that¡¯s less than half what I would expect there to be on board.¡±

    I frowned, concerned. I felt pretty certain that the Red Room was going to fall out of the sky at this point. There was only so much we could do¡­ maybe some of them would find parachutes, but ¡®less than half¡¯ wasn¡¯t a great rescue ratio. No sign of Taskmaster either, at this stage, though maybe she just wasn¡¯t properly active yet.

    Walking back to the front, I saw the Red Room appear just ahead of us. It wasn¡¯t looking good, listing dramatically to one side, half of the spikes that had radiated out from the central hub already disintegrating and breaking off. I looked at Yelena. ¡°Can you get us over it? Close as you can?¡±

    ¡°Wanda, extraction!¡± Pietro¡¯s panicked voice came over the comms and I flicked my hands out, retrieving him with another portal. He landed hard and staggered off to one side, clutching at his arm. I hurried back toward him, alarm on my face, but he waved me off. ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not fine, you¡¯re bleeding,¡± I helped him take his jacket off and sucked in air through my teeth when I saw the nasty cut on his arm.

    Melina came over, having retrieved a medical kit from somewhere. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll take care of him. You focus on getting people out.¡±

    I nodded reluctantly and glanced back at the front of the Quinjet¡ªthe Red Room was no longer visible, so I went over and hit the switch to open the back ramp. Howling wind and the sound of explosions filtered in from outside and I carefully leaned out. Yelena had brought us more-or-less directly above the failing structure and halted our forward momentum, using the Quinjet¡¯s VTOL jets to keep us steady. Below me, the spire tilted drunkenly to one side.

    ¡°Wanda, extraction!¡± Nat¡¯s voice came through and I gestured, opening another portal. A second later, Natasha and Steve stumbled through, covered in blood and soot, and almost collapsed against the bulkhead. ¡°Hold it open, there¡¯s¡ª¡± she was cut off by an explosion, ¡°Close it!¡± I snapped the portal shut, narrowly cutting off a small plume of flame.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± Steve murmured, his voice heavy.

    ¡°Dreykov?¡± I called back to them.

    ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± said Natasha, a note of tired satisfaction in her voice, amongst a crowd of other emotions. She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.

    I inventoried our team, then touched my earpiece. ¡°Clint? Where are you?¡±

    Nat¡¯s eyes flew open. ¡°Clint isn¡¯t out?¡± she asked urgently. ¡°The whole place is going down. Get him out, now.¡±

    I focused on Hawkeye, picturing him in my mind, then spun up a portal. There was a pause, then a moment of confusion and shock when an arm flopped bonelessly through, slapping onto the deck, then slipped back the way it had come. Nat kicked off, lunging at it, and Steve caught her leg as she dangled through the portal, everything above her hips on the other side. After a moment of struggle, Steve pulled her back through. She was empty-handed and her eyes were wide. ¡°We need to go around! He¡¯s falling! He¡¯s hurt!¡±

    Tony¡¯s voice came through. ¡°I don¡¯t see him. Where was he?¡±

    I looked back down. Clint, Taskmaster, and a bunch of the Widows were still out there, about to plummet toward their deaths. Fuck. If I could see them, I could get them, but there was so much smoke¡­ The fall would be survivable for me, I could slow myself down and cushion my landing, but they couldn¡¯t. Tony might be able to pick out a couple of people, but they¡¯d be at risk from all of the falling wreckage¡­

    Bad decision made, I bounced on my heels a couple of times, psyching myself up. I shot one last glance back toward the interior of the Quinjet, smiled encouragingly at Pietro, then stepped backwards off the ramp¡ªmy heart in my throat¡ªletting myself freefall toward the rapidly-disintegrating structure.

 Chapter 24

    The initial drop was a moment of sheer, gut-wrenching terror. My heart was pounding in my chest, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps. Tucking my arms in close to my body, I tried to aim myself down head-first to minimise wind resistance and accelerate my fall as the Red Room rushed up to meet me.

    ¡°Wanda?!¡± Pietro shouted through the comms in my ear, panic in his voice, and I winced.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± I tried to snap back, the wind whipping my words away. I had no idea if anyone could even hear me. ¡°Stark, if you can hear me, I need your help picking my targets.¡±

    The ruined Red Room loomed large in my vision, getting closer, but not fast enough. I wrapped myself in wisps of chaos magic, coating my body like a second skin before pulling myself forward, urging myself faster. I squinted against the wind, eyes rapidly scanning the wreckage for survivors.

    ¡°Tony, Wanda dropped out of the Quinjet. Do you have eyes on her or Clint?¡±

    ¡°Give me a sec.¡±

    A parachute suddenly opened off to one side, far below the main bulk of the failing platform. I couldn¡¯t tell who it was at this distance, but I did see the falling girder slice through their chute. There wasn¡¯t any time to pick and choose, so I threw out my hands and caught them and the nearest bits of falling wreckage in a web of telekinetic energy, rapidly bleeding off a chunk of their momentum. A second later I spun a portal just below them, dismissing it again immediately after they fell through.

    I really, really hoped that I¡¯d killed enough of their speed to make that survivable, but it was extremely difficult to tell given that my own frame of reference was hurtling downward at more than terminal velocity. To add an additional margin, I¡¯d connected the other end of the portal to the lounge in Avengers Tower, flat against the floor and oriented upwards so they¡¯d fly up into the air. I had no actual idea how well that would work or how high they¡¯d be shot up before gravity reasserted and they fell back down to the floor, but it had to be better than the alternative. Hopefully, JARVIS would get what I was doing and the Iron Legion could capture any Widows I sent though. Could an Iron Legion drone administer first aid if they landed poorly and broke some bones? I had no idea. JARVIS and Bruce would just have to figure it out.

    As I dropped below the main body of the Red Room¡ªI was falling much, much faster than it now¡ªI dismissed the energy accelerating me and twisted in mid-air, letting myself spin in a slow circle so I could see every angle. There, that looked like a person. And there, two more clinging to the inside of a helicopter, its blades twisted and useless. I gestured and strands of telekinetic power yanked them free of the wreck, then they fell out of sight through another portal. I moved my hands rapidly, looking from side to side, sending out portal after portal, rescuing survivors in their ones and twos as I fell. At one point, a falling Widow looked about to be crushed between two pieces of twisted superstructure and I lashed out with both hands, blasting them apart with a surge of magic before rescuing her.

    ¡°I see her, she¡¯s picking out survivors. Wanda, if you can hear me, I¡¯m going to light up some targets for you.¡±

    A wide orange beam of light cut across the wreckage, and I followed it with my eyes to find another survivor just below it. I portalled them away and saw the gleam of red and gold reflecting the morning sun¡ªit was Stark. Twice more the orange beam lashed out, and twice more I rescued the indicated targets.

    After a moment, Iron Man cut across the sky, spiralling down to meet me. He matched my velocity for a moment, and I heard Tony¡¯s voice in my comms. ¡°You good, Elphie? Need a hand?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± I yelled and pointed back up toward the wreckage. He nodded, blasting away and heading back up, ostensibly to see if he could spot any more survivors. Twisting a bit in midair, I looked down at the rapidly-oncoming ground, a dizzying patchwork of greens and browns. How long had I been falling? Sixty seconds? More? Less? It was very difficult to tell exactly how much time I had left.

    I held my hands out to the sides and started to decelerate myself, which my stomach really did not like. Tony lit up another target and I portalled them away¡ªit was actually getting easier the more I was doing it¡ªand, when I couldn¡¯t see any more, I focused on myself as the ground rushed up to meet me. Wrapping myself in telekinetic energy once more, I focused on moving myself sideways, trying to get myself away from the main bulk of the falling wreckage, as I slowed my descent.

    A moment later, I hit the ground, sending out a shockwave of cushioning telekinetic energy. I probably didn¡¯t need to land in a perfect three-point superhero pose, but I felt pretty sure I¡¯d earned it.

    I tapped my earpiece as I stood, ignoring the roiling in my stomach as I looked upward to make sure I wasn¡¯t going to get squashed by a stray bit of falling debris. ¡°What¡¯s Clint¡¯s status? Did we get him? Is he safe?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s safe,¡± Steve¡¯s relieved voice responded. ¡°He¡¯s back in New York with the rest. You got Taskmaster, too, and a half dozen Widows. A few of the regular soldiers, as well.¡±

    ¡°Thank God,¡± I breathed.

    ¡°Stay where you are, we¡¯ll circle back around and bring the Quinjet down.¡±

    A couple of seconds later, Iron Man flew down and landed a dozen metres away from me, his gold and red armour marred by soot and scorch marks. ¡°Nice work, kid,¡± he said, striding over to me. ¡°Don¡¯t think we¡¯d have saved more than a couple without you.¡±

    ¡°Hold that thought¡­ Can you keep a secret, Stark?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    I held up a finger, then turned away from him and bent almost double, hands on my knees, as I noisily and messily emptied the contents of my stomach all over the ground.

    --

    ¡°Okay, so I know this was just my first Avengers mission, but I¡¯m pretty sure I nailed it,¡± I said, looking between Natasha and Yelena. ¡°I nailed it, right?¡±

    Nat nodded, a faint smile passing across her features. Her eyes were shining and red, like she¡¯d been crying earlier. ¡°Not bad for a first timer. We¡¯ve gotta work on your communication, though¡ªtell people what you¡¯re doing, don¡¯t just do it.¡±

    Yelena shot me an unimpressed look. ¡°Yeah, and what was that, when you hit the ground? The pose? You did a pose.¡± She bent down and did an exaggerated mock imitation of my three-point landing. ¡°Like this. You did this.¡±

    ¡°You saw that?¡±

    The corner of Natasha¡¯s mouth twitched as she suppressed a laugh. ¡°Tony¡¯s video feed was still on in the Quinjet. We all saw it.¡± I winced. Guess the secret was out, everyone had seen me toss my guts after all. ¡°Have you ever even jumped out a plane before?¡±

    ¡°Nope, never. It just¡­ seemed like the thing to do. Not sure what I was thinking.¡±

    Yelena sniffed. ¡°You were thinking ¡®ohhh, man, it¡¯d look so cool if I stepped backwards out of the plane, even though it means I can¡¯t see what I¡¯m doing and I might hit my head on the edge of the ramp like an idiot¡¯. You¡¯re a poser. Total poser.¡± She looked over at Natasha. ¡°Both of you are.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯ve seen her cool fighting poses? Where she, like, flicks her hair back?¡±

    ¡°Hey, now,¡± Nat warned playfully, her eyes widening slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t bring me into this. I got enough about that earlier.¡±

    I smirked at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I like your fighting poses.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ ugh.¡± She sighed, then glanced meaningfully toward Yelena. ¡°Can you give us a sec?¡±

    ¡°Whatever,¡± the younger Widow said, holding up her hands in mock surrender. She turned and headed back toward where Alexei and Melina were having an animated conversation with Bruce. From the brief snatches I could hear, it sounded like Melina was filling in some gaps regarding how the mind control worked. With her here, along with the data that Tony had taken from the Red Room¡¯s mainframe, I couldn¡¯t imagine it¡¯d take very long at all to free the Widows from the chemical subjugation.

    Natasha waited until Yelena had wandered out of earshot before looking at me seriously, something unreadable in her eyes. ¡°You knew about my mother, didn¡¯t you?¡± she asked quietly. ¡°My real mother?¡±

    I pulled a face and looked away, really hoping she wouldn¡¯t be angry with me. ¡°I did. I thought¡­ if I told you, it would sound too manipulative. You wouldn¡¯t believe me, or you¡¯d think I was just telling you what you wanted to hear. You¡¯d close off, I¡¯d push you away. But you deserved to know and I knew Melina would tell you so I just¡­ steered you in the right direction. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I paused, thinking for a moment. ¡°Melina did tell you, didn¡¯t she?¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    A slight smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. ¡°She did. You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t think I would have believed you. Not before all of this.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Is there¡­ anything else that you saw? About me, I mean?¡±

    ¡°Natasha¡­¡± I fidgeted, trying not to look at her.

    ¡°Thought so. What is it?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not relevant in any case. It won¡¯t happen, not anymore.¡±

    Nat took a step in closer, reaching up to touch my shoulder. ¡°Tell me. It doesn¡¯t matter what it is. I need to know, please.¡±

    I sighed and met her eyes. ¡°I saw you die, okay? It was part of the whole thing with Thanos and the Stones. You sacrificed yourself, threw your life away, because you thought someone had to. You thought you were¡­ less important, so you did it.¡± There was real heat to my voice for a moment and I paused, swallowing hard, trying to get it back under control. ¡°You were wrong. You are important¡ªto them, to her.¡± I gestured over toward the Avengers and Yelena, then hesitated a moment. ¡°To me. I won¡¯t let it happen. Not this time.¡±

    Natasha was quiet for a moment, studying my features, and I shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. Suddenly, she pulled me into an embrace, wrapping her arms around me and squeezing me tight. I hugged her back. After a few seconds, she pulled back a little and rested her forehead against mine, gazing into my eyes. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said quietly.

    --

    ¡°We¡¯ve still got a lot of work left to do, but all things considered I think everything went about as well as it could have,¡± Steve said, sounding pleased.

    A day later, we were gathered in the briefing room of Avengers Tower once again, doing a post-op debrief. With Melina¡¯s help, the Avengers had cracked the Red Room¡¯s mind control, the data that Tony had copied from their mainframe enough for him to seize control of the now directionless network that Dreykov had formerly helmed and use it to free Antonia Dreykov and the other Widows¡ªall of them, all over the world.

    Dr Helen Cho had been flown in to help patch up Clint, who was doing fine and would be back on his feet pretty quickly. Melina and Alexei had gone back to Russia. Yelena was going to stay with Natasha for a little bit¡ªshe was finally free, for the first time in her adult life, and New York was a big city. She wanted to spend some time enjoying herself before she decided what she was doing next. The Stark Relief Foundation were helping out Antonia and the Widows we¡¯d rescued, giving them temporary housing, food and access to counselling services. Russia was already asking pointed questions about the Avengers¡¯ involvement, given that the Red Room had ended up strewn across the Arkhangelsk Oblast, which was probably also going to tie the team up with queries from the UN and NATO for a little while. Thor had taken that as his cue to leave, and had returned to Asgard to seek his father¡¯s counsel.

    ¡°Is there anything else we need to go over?¡± Steve asked, looking to close out the meeting.

    ¡°There is one other thing,¡± Bruce ventured, scratching the back of his head awkwardly as he looked over at me. ¡°The Mind Stone. Wanda, now that everything with the Red Room is resolved and we¡¯re not expecting trouble from any other fronts for a little while, I was hoping Tony and I could take it off your hands for a little bit longer?¡±

    I shot him a hard look and he wilted slightly under the intensity of my gaze. ¡°Bruce¡­ I¡¯d expect this from Tony, not from you.¡± Looking around, I addressed the whole team. ¡°Listen, this isn¡¯t how this is going to work¡ªI¡¯m not just going to be allowed to take it out when you want me to have it for a mission, then put it right back away again. I¡¯m not a child. The Stone is mine, not yours. You don¡¯t get to control my access to it like that.¡±

    Tony rolled his eyes, but Bruce raised his hands in a placating motion. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m sorry, look, this isn¡¯t TV, we¡¯re not going to solve all of particle physics over night, but even another week could make a huge difference. The insight we¡¯re getting into gamma radiation is¡­ could be extremely important.¡±

    Looking at Bruce, I could see from the expression on his face that he meant it¡ªthat this was important to him¡ªand suddenly it clicked. ¡°Gamma radiation¡­ you think the Mind Stone could help you understand what happened to you?¡± I asked, the heat gone from my tone.

    He made a face. ¡°Maybe,¡± he hedged. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get my hopes up, but we really have only just scratched the surface of what we could learn from it. It¡¯d mean a lot if you could let us.¡±

    I glanced over at Natasha, who flashed me a hopeful smile. Sighing, I nodded my head slowly. ¡°Okay. Fine. But if I ask for it back, for any reason, I get it back immediately. No argument, no discussion.¡±

    ¡°Works for me,¡± Bruce said.

    Tony nodded. ¡°Sure, fine.¡±

    I took my necklace off and passed it back over to Bruce, hesitating only a little bit. I really, really wasn¡¯t keen to part with it again, but if there was some possibility that it could lead Bruce to a better understanding of his condition, we might even be able to get an early Smart Hulk, which would be a pretty solid achievement. I really should talk to him about that soon, too. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said gratefully. ¡°We¡¯ll let you know if there are any developments.¡±

    Steve looked at me. ¡°Wanda, Pietro¡ªcan you hang back for a sec?¡±

    Uh oh. ¡°Sure thing.¡±

    The three of us waited until everyone else stood and filtered out of the briefing room, Bruce and Tony breaking off to head to the lab, while the rest headed vaguely in the direction of the lounge. Steve looked at the two of us appraisingly. ¡°You did good out there. Both of you.¡±

    Pietro grunted noncommittally, then paused and reassessed his response. ¡°It was fun,¡± he said, only slightly grudgingly. ¡°It was an awful place and I¡¯m glad we shut it down.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I affirmed. ¡°Everyone worked well together.¡±

    Steve leaned forward, resting his elbows on the conference table as he looked at us. ¡°We¡¯re going to be dealing with political stuff for a bit, so now would be a good time to reach out to Wakanda, too. Get that out of the way.¡±

    I pulled a face, annoyed. ¡°Seriously? I said I¡¯d handle it.¡±

    ¡°Seriously. Wanda, I don¡¯t think you understand how serious this could be if we don¡¯t get ahead of it.¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ ugh. Fine, but there¡¯s some stuff you don¡¯t know about what happened in Wakanda. We¡¯re not going to be able to resolve this easily. I¡¯m not even sure we can at all.¡±

    ¡°Why not? What happened in Wakanda?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I took a deep breath and looked over at Pietro. ¡°You want to chime in?¡±

    ¡°I only know what you¡¯ve told me,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°Wakanda has a national hero. A protector¡¯s mantle that¡¯s handed down. The Black Panther. There¡¯s a plant they cultivate in secret, the Heart-Shaped Herb. It was a sacred blessing from their goddess. You eat it¡­ well, drink the goo, and it makes you stronger. Faster.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s basically a natural equivalent to the Super Soldier Serum that Erskine gave you¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s quite as strong, but it¡¯s in the same basic ballpark. Strength, speed, reflexes and durability.¡±

    ¡°Prince T¡¯Challa is the Black Panther at the moment,¡± Pietro added.

    ¡°We actually saved his life as well, I think. King T¡¯Chaka should suspect what I told them was true, so hopefully they¡¯ll actually do something about Killmonger before he becomes a problem.¡± Steve looked at me questioningly, so I explained. ¡°In a few years he¡¯ll get some kind of incurable illness. I¡¯m not sure what it is specifically, but the Heart-Shaped Herb has healing properties and can save his life. One of the reasons we went to Wakanda in the first place was to stop a madman from stealing the throne¡­ if he was successful, one of the first things he would do is destroy the Herbs.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re so strong,¡± Steve murmured. ¡°I was surprised when we fought together in Bucky¡¯s apartment. HYDRA¡¯s files didn¡¯t indicate you had any physical enhancements. You took the Herb.¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s not an excuse, but they¡¯d just attacked us when all we wanted to do was leave. They just wouldn¡¯t listen. I didn¡¯t want to walk away empty-handed. Not again. And I figured I¡¯d already burned my bridges with them, so I didn¡¯t think I could mess it up any more than I already had, so yeah. I did something even more stupid and stole from them. I was really angry¡­ not thinking clearly.¡±

    Steve heaved a sigh. ¡°I see. Still, we need to open a dialog. If they see genuine contrition from you, we can exert a little bit of political pressure, and¡ª¡±

    I cut him off. ¡°No, you don¡¯t get it. It¡¯s reversible. They have a way of removing the enhancement.¡±

    He set his jaw. ¡°And you won¡¯t agree to that?¡±

    ¡°No! Of course I won¡¯t agree to that! I¡¯d be dead if I hadn¡¯t taken it, Steve. I''d be dead and Bucky would still be the Winter Soldier.¡± I felt Pietro looking at me in surprise and touched my neck. ¡°You remember what happened. He¡¯d have crushed my throat. I¡¯m not going to throw away something that literally helps keep me alive because I hurt some people¡¯s feelings.¡±

    ¡°You hurt a lot more than their feelings,¡± Steve reminded me unhelpfully.

    ¡°You know what I mean. You¡¯ve heard what we¡¯re up against. Hopefully, by now, you believe me about the stakes involved. I can¡¯t give this up. It could be the difference between losing or literally saving billions of lives.¡± He was getting one of his stubborn looks on his face again and I shook my head. ¡°Look, if you want us to talk to them, fine, but we¡¯re not going to be able to reach an agreement. It¡¯s just not going to happen.¡±

    ¡°You really do like making things more difficult than they need to be, don¡¯t you?¡± Steve said with a sigh. ¡°Regardless, we still need to try.¡±

    ¡°Like I said, fine. We¡¯ll try.¡±

    With that wrapped up, the three of us filtered out of the briefing room. Pietro and I headed toward the lounge and, as we came out into the main area, Natasha straightened up from where she¡¯d been waiting, leaning against the wall. ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡± A small smile crossed my features. I slowed a bit, but Pietro rolled his eyes and continued on past.

    Nat paused for a moment, waiting for him to get a bit further away, before she looked at me and tilted her head. ¡°So where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t actually know. Why?¡±

    The corner of her mouth quirked up. ¡°I thought you might like to buy me dinner tonight.¡±

    My eyes widened in surprise and I stammered a little in response, a knot of anxiety rising up in my stomach. ¡°Uh. I mean¡­¡± My reaction just made her smile wider.

    Meanwhile, my thoughts were racing. I couldn¡¯t actually buy her dinner. It wasn¡¯t like I had a job¡­ Pietro and I had relied on stealing to survive while we¡¯d been on the run, and I was depending pretty heavily on the Avengers¡¯ kitchen at the moment, and I didn¡¯t expect that Nat would be too receptive to a ¡®just let me get Pietro to steal me some money real quick¡¯.

    ¡°Nat,¡± I said hesitantly. ¡°I¡¯m going to be straight with you.¡±

    ¡°Unlikely, but continue.¡±

    The corner of my mouth twitched furiously as I tried not to laugh, the joke at least taking the sharp edge off my embarrassment at the admission I was making. ¡°Seriously. I have no money. I can¡¯t buy you dinner.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that all? That¡¯s fine,¡± she said. She reached into a side pocket and held out what looked like a credit card, offering it to me. I took it and snorted when I read the name on it.

    ¡°¡­you stole Tony¡¯s credit card? Firstly: amazing. Secondly, though, wouldn¡¯t that be him buying you dinner?¡±

    Nat¡¯s arm snaked forward and wrapped around my shoulder, pulling me in close so she could rest her forehead comfortably against mine, gazing intently into my eyes. ¡°Listen to me: don¡¯t clam jam yourself here. Tony kind of owes you one anyway.¡±

    My brow furrowed in horrified amusement. ¡°Did you just say clam jam?!¡±

 Chapter 25

    ¡°This is me,¡± Natasha said, tipping her head toward the brick and stone fa?ade of the small apartment building we¡¯d stopped in front of. A small, mostly decorative wrought-iron fence and gate framed by well-maintained hedges led to a set of low-set stone steps up to the front door. She unthreaded her fingers from mine but continued to hold my hand, fidgeting with it for a moment as she met my eyes. ¡°Did you want to come up?¡±

    I paused, caught a little off-guard. It had been a really nice evening. She¡¯d taken me to this little hole-in-the-wall Italian place on the Lower East Side where it seemed like she was a regular¡ªthe waitstaff all knew her by name and the owner had come over for a brief but warm chat while we ordered. We¡¯d split a bottle of Cab Sav over dinner and the food was amazing.

    While the party at the Tower had been a great chance to unwind, I was generally a little off-balance in big, shared social situations and it had still felt very performative, like I was interviewing for a job and didn¡¯t want to make a bad impression. Dinner with Natasha, by contrast, had been comfortable. It was casual and friendly, and it didn¡¯t feel like there were any expectations I needed to live up to¡­ I could just exist and be myself and that was all she wanted. After spending so long running, hiding, pretending and putting up a fa?ade for Pietro, I couldn¡¯t quite articulate how much having something like this meant to me.

    It was hard to balance that feeling with the caution I knew I should be exercising¡ªNat was a master social manipulator and I held no illusions about my susceptibility. I kept having to remind myself that I was a potentially dangerous asset that was being managed, probably not actually someone she could ever really be interested in, no matter my hopes.

    With that in mind I¡¯d basically expected that, after our after-dinner walk, she was going to tease and flirt with me a little bit more before carefully shuffling me back off to the Tower. I really hadn¡¯t been expecting what seemed to be an earnest invitation upstairs. A crow cawed somewhere above us. ¡°I mean¡­ Are you sure?¡± I asked uncertainly.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have asked if I wasn¡¯t,¡± she said with an easy smile that made my heart flutter in my chest. ¡°Yelena¡¯s staying on the couch, so we¡¯ll have to keep it down, but¡­ yeah. I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to.¡±

    Dark wood finishings and sheltered wall lamps lent the building¡¯s interior a warm, cosy feeling as we ascended the steps to the third floor. Nat unlocked the front door with a small set of keys she produced from seemingly nowhere. As we entered, she carefully stepped out of her heels and placed them on the rack by the door. Following her example, I removed mine and scooted them off to the side as well.

    The one-bedroom apartment was tiny without feeling cramped¡ªa living room sat on one side of the entrance with a couch and armchair tucked into the corner, opposite a kitchen and small square dining table. A short hallway between them led through to the bed and bath rooms. Yelena was curled up on the couch when we came in, watching something on TV.

    The younger woman initially perked up a little bit when Natasha walked in, but, when she saw me, her smile died and she shot her sister a flat, unimpressed look. ¡°You¡¯re really bringing home booty calls while I¡¯m on the couch? Really?¡±

    I flushed, a little embarrassed, but Nat was unrepentant. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to go for a walk,¡± she said with a dismissive shrug. ¡°Get out, live a little. Lots of stuff to do in the city at night.¡±

    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± Yelena scoffed, shaking her head before pointedly turning away to ignore us. As she did, she picked up the remote and pressed up on the volume control until it was blaring obnoxiously loudly.

    Natasha grabbed my hand and pulled me forward, gently guiding me past the living room and into her bedroom before closing the door firmly behind us. I hesitated, vacillating at the foot of her bed, unsure what to do. A part of me was still in a bit of shock that this was actually even happening. She stepped in close to me, tilting her head to bring her lips to mine, and my mind went utterly blank for the next few seconds as we kissed.

    Her lips were soft and the warmth of her breath had a mild tang to it, a lingering trace of the limoncello digestif we¡¯d had after dinner. I reached up with a hand, my fingers gently tracing the side of her face. The kiss was gentle¡ªalmost tentative at first¡ªas if she was as nervous as I was, even though I was certain that couldn¡¯t possibly be the case.

    After a few moments we broke off, both breathing more heavily, and Natasha let out a small chuckle. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, I don¡¯t normally do this sort of thing. It¡¯s¡­ been a little while, believe it or not.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, for me too,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°I guess you must be pretty pent-up, then, huh?¡± she teased, her hands tracing a path across my body before firmly taking hold of my hips.

    ¡°Like you wouldn¡¯t believe.¡±

    Natasha pushed me backwards until I hit the edge of her bed and was forced to sit down. She didn¡¯t stop there, continuing forward to straddle my hips before reaching up, threading her fingers into my hair, and kissing me again. This one was deeper, more insistent, our bodies pressing together eagerly as my heart pounded in my chest. I made a small, involuntary noise of pleasure in the back of my throat and Nat broke off again, grinning as she locked eyes with me.

    ¡°Careful, Romanov,¡± I murmured. ¡°You keep acting like this and I might start to think you actually like me.¡±

    She leant forward, teasing the lobe of my ear with her teeth and tongue for a moment before she whispered back. ¡°How about I show you exactly how much I like you?¡±

    --

    Loki lounged lazily on his divan, idly turning the pages of the tome he¡¯d been making a vague attempt at reading. His eyes skimmed over the paper, not really absorbing the contents¡ªsome epic about King Buri, first King of Asgard, father of Bor, grandfather of Odin, blah blah blah.

    Flipping the book closed, he dropped it carelessly to the floor with a loud thud that echoed through the chamber and stood up. Taking a few steps forward, he moved toward the open arch of the balcony and gazed out over his domain, feeling no small sense of satisfaction. The shining golden spires and pure white paved streets of Asgard greeted him, teeming with his subjects. His subjects. His kingdom. The birthright he had always deserved.

    ¡°My king? Did you require anything?¡± ventured a timid voice from behind him.

    He suppressed an annoyed sigh and turned. ¡°No, Verun. I was merely careless with my reading material. Please leave me.¡±

    The plain-looking woman bowed and scraped on her way out. She was one of his mother¡¯s former handmaidens, still looking for some way to make herself useful since Frigga¡¯s death. Loki felt a sharp pang in his chest as he thought of her and did his best to suppress it, smothering the emotion with the annoyance he still felt at having to masquerade as his father, Odin.

    While he did enjoy the fruits of kingship, he chafed greatly at the fact that he was not ruling openly as himself. It had been a spur of the moment decision to fake his death and seize control of the throne, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any better way he could have done it. If he¡¯d remained alive in the public eye, hailed as a hero alongside his brother for saving the Nine Realms, perhaps he could have still replaced Odin. He could have used his duplication casting to maintain a double of himself so as not to arouse suspicion, then had ¡®Odin¡¯ gracefully step down from the throne and declare him the new king.

    That would, however, have caused a host of other problems. Grudgingly, he had to admit that Thor would not have fallen for it, not after his last attempt at the throne. And while his subjects may be generally dull of wit and glazed of eye, even the stupidest among them would have harboured some suspicions. And so he had no choice to languish in obscurity, with none knowing that their wise and benevolent ruler¡ªhe was fairly certain was doing a much better job than Odin ever had¡ªwas, in fact, Loki himself!

    Even now, there were still half-hearted protests any time he tried to celebrate his accomplishments. After all he¡¯d done for these people! He¡¯d managed to push through the commissioning of one magnificent statue of himself¡ªframing it as Odin memorialising the noble and heroic sacrifice that his son had made. More than that might be pushing his luck, but surely there were other ways he could use his position as ¡®Odin¡¯ to subtly celebrate the real him?

    A production of that dreadfully trite play by Isond Seithd¨®ttir that had been captivating the dull-minded masses was scheduled for this evening. He¡¯d been invited, of course, but he had no intention of sitting through that utterly unoriginal and hackneyed excuse for drama for a second time and had made his excuses graciously¡ªa king¡¯s work was never done, after all. However, now that he thought more about it, it sparked a rather interesting idea.

    His father had always been a strong supporter of the arts and there were several theatre troupes that had previously enjoyed the Allfather¡¯s direct favour and patronage. Perhaps he could commission one himself? A play¡­ no, a whole series of plays commemorating the life of Loki, lovable trickster and favoured son of Odin. His fool brother would, of course, be cast as the boorish and derisible comic relief. Given how partial the rabble of Asgard were to stagecraft, it would also serve nicely as easily-digestible propaganda to help uplift his tarnished reputation. Yes, that seemed like it could be rather fun.

    Briefly, he felt a slight twinge of guilt in his chest. Odin was being well-looked after in the mortal¡¯s aged care facility¡ªhe¡¯d stolen-and-paid top dollar to ensure that¡ªbut still, he wished that his father could see him here, where he belonged. It was funny. When he¡¯d found out that he was adopted, he¡¯d been so angry at Odin for keeping the truth for him. At the time, he¡¯d said some things that, in hindsight, he regretted. But after everything that had happened, any apology would ring hollow¡ªif he could even ever bear to give one. Now here he was, still chasing the phantom of Odin¡¯s approval.

    Movement on the bridge to the palace caught his eye. ¡°Oh, shit,¡± he swore, turning and moving with purpose. Thor was back. That meant he¡¯d probably finally succeeded in his mission.

    As he walked through his chambers, Loki refreshed the illusion of Odin¡¯s appearance, switching from casual robes to a set of formal black and golden armour, scooping up Gungnir, Odin¡¯s spear, from where it lay discarded on the floor. Opening the door, he practically flew down the corridor, hoping no one would see his undignified rush as he moved to arrive in the throne room prior to Thor entering.

    When his brother arrived, it was to see ¡®Odin¡¯ sitting upon his throne, as if the return of his son had been entirely expected. Gungnir sat loosely in Loki¡¯s grip, haft braced against the marble floor.

    ¡°My son,¡± he called out, trying to bring some warmth into his voice. ¡°You have returned¡ªand so soon.¡±

    ¡°It is good to see you too, Father.¡± A slight smile curved Thor¡¯s mouth as he approached the throne.

    Loki remained seated, hiding his satisfaction when Thor¡¯s steps faltered halfway up the steps. Proper protocol dictated that he was not to ascend any higher while the king remained seated, which kept a comfortable distance between them. It was a little more standoffish than Odin would normally be, but the sight of Thor feeling off-balance did delight him so.

    ¡°Father, Heimdall informed me that you had instructed him not to respond when I sought his guidance. Why?¡±

    Loki regarded him coolly, doing his best impression of how their father spoke. ¡°The Gatekeeper of Asgard is not an errand boy to serve your every whim. Heimdall¡¯s duties are paramount to the safety of the realm and he is not to be distracted with menial requests.¡±

    Loki had sent Thor out to recover Thanos¡¯s sceptre and ordered Heimdall not to assist him in any way. The longer it took his brother to succeed in his task, the longer he¡¯d be away from Asgard and out of Loki¡¯s hair. Besides, Thor loved Midgard. Loki was basically doing him a favour. Of course, he¡¯d also implemented a whole raft of other changes specifically to make Thor¡¯s life just a little bit harder¡ªif his brother thought this was inconvenient, he hadn¡¯t seen anything yet. Some might call it petty, but for Loki it was one of the perks.

    ¡°I see¡­ There are pressing matters I must speak to you about.¡±

    ¡°I have little time for idle chatter, my son. Have you recovered Loki¡¯s sceptre? I do not see it.¡±

    ¡°That is one of the things we must speak about. The sceptre was powered by an Infinity Stone¡ªthat of the Mind.¡±

    ¡°¡­Naturally. Did you think its true nature was hidden from me?¡± Loki schooled his reaction, grateful that the illusion he was projecting of Odin did not need to match up one-to-one to his actual expression. He¡¯d had no idea that Thanos had given him an Infinity Stone.

    ¡°Of course not. I¡­ it has been claimed by someone. A mortal witch who says she has seen the future.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°The future? And you believed her?¡±

    ¡°I am beginning to, yes. There are some other things that she spoke of¡ªthings she had no way of knowing. She has claimed that the Mind Stone has chosen her as its protector. I know you have spoken strongly of the dangers of keeping more than one of the Stones in the same place, and given that the Tesseract already resides within Asgard¡¯s vault, I thought it best to judge her worthiness and then speak with you.¡±

    The Tesseract¡ªor, more properly, the Space Stone¡ªwas currently a prize in Loki¡¯s collection in Asgard¡¯s vault, and their father had spoken several times of the dangers involved in gathering the Stones. Perhaps it might be for the best if one of them remained on Earth.

    Loki had been intending on destroying the sceptre in any case; thinking about how it had manipulated his mind, twisting his ego and goading on every little megalomaniacal urge he¡¯d had, still made him shudder. Not that he wouldn¡¯t have absolutely revelled in conquering Earth and showing Thor up, but still, it was the principle of the thing. His mind was his. Sacrosanct.

    ¡°Very well. And how did you judge her?¡±

    ¡°I am conflicted. I believe she may be worthy. She is earnest enough on the face of it and has willingly submitted herself to the judgement of the Avengers.¡±

    Whoever this witch was, she was hardly a threat, then. It was laughable. An Infinity Stone at her command and she rolled over and showed her belly to the likes of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark? What an absolute fool. If he¡¯d know that the sceptre contained the Mind Stone, he¡¯d have done things a little differently. He¡¯d have claimed its true power and wielded it properly, enslaving them all to his will.

    ¡°I see,¡± Loki said imperiously. He tapped the haft of Gungnir on the floor once. ¡°Then it is my judgement that this humility she has demonstrated, along with her submission to the protectors of Earth, is sufficient for her to retain the Stone. For now.¡± He could always change his mind later.

    ¡°Thank you, father.¡±

    ¡°Now, if that was all, I¡¯ll just¡ª¡±

    ¡°Actually, there¡¯s more we must speak on.¡±

    Loki suppressed a sigh of annoyance. ¡°Very well, but do make it quick.¡± Thor frowned slightly at that and Loki winced internally. Had that been a bit snappy for ¡®Odin¡¯? Ugh, he really needed Thor out of his hair so he could relax again. He¡¯d need to think up a new mission. Maybe send him after Surtr? The decrepit fire giant king had been rattling his sabre recently. That¡¯d probably keep him busy for a while¡­

    ¡°The Mad Titan Thanos was the one who sent Loki to conquer the Earth with the Chitauri, seeking to recover the Tesseract.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Loki said testily. He was trying to stop his annoyance at this continued conversation from showing, but it was proving extremely difficult.

    ¡°Thanos is not content to continue his current crusade across the stars. He seeks to unite the power of all six Infinity Stones and use that power to annihilate half of all life in the universe.¡±

    There was a pause as the bottom dropped out of Loki¡¯s stomach. Thanos intended to do what?! Loki was all for seeking power for power¡¯s sake and lording it over others, but what was the point if everyone was dead? ¡°He¡¯s a madman,¡± he said, a slight tremor in his voice. He knew firsthand what level of power Thanos could bring to bear. ¡°He will not succeed, not so long as Asgard holds the Space Stone.¡±

    Thor nodded. ¡°Of course. As well as the Stone held by the witch, I thought it important for you to know that Earth is host to a second Infinity Stone. There is an order of sorcerers who have taken it upon themselves to guard it¡ªI understand that they have successfully done so for thousands of years. I worry that keeping two on Earth could draw Thanos¡¯s attention. Should we consider relocating one to Asgard?¡±

    ¡°No! Er, I mean¡­ that will not be necessary.¡± Keeping two Infinity Stones in his vault would make Asgard Thanos¡¯s primary target. Earth could go fuck itself. ¡°I will marshal Asgard¡¯s forces and ensure that we are prepared to meet this threat. Thanos may have his armies, but they do not hold a candle to the full might of Asgard. You¡­ you will serve as Earth¡¯s primary protector as you have in the past.¡± He hurriedly tapped the haft of his spear on the floor again. ¡°That is my judgement.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Do you know of a place called the Dark Dimension? A universe beyond our own?¡±

    Loki hesitated. ¡°The Dark¡­ Dimension? You¡¯re not talking about the Dark World? Svart¨¢lfheim?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Thor shook his head emphatically. ¡°The Dark Dimension is said to be a timeless place, home to a being called Dormammu. He seeks to claim Earth for his dominion.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ no. I¡¯m not familiar with this being. There may be something in the libraries.¡±

    ¡°Then I will look for answers there. Lastly¡­ Father, I seek knowledge of the Celestials.¡±

    ¡°Whatever for?¡± Loki¡¯s forehead crinkled in confusion. The stuffy old primordial gods rarely stooped to involve themselves in the business of other pantheons, despite their incredible power.

    ¡°The witch who sees the future¡ªshe has said that a Celestial child is growing within the Earth and its Emergence will wreak destruction on the Midgardian civilisations.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Well¡­ huh. Good thing he hadn¡¯t actually succeeded in conquering the planet, then.

    Thor straightened up, his posture growing stiff. For a moment, Loki thought he¡¯d given himself away, before realising that his mule-headed brother was simply thrumming with barely-restrained excitement. It was actually a little bit endearing how puppy-like Thor seemed at times. ¡°If you do not know a way to remedy this, I would seek your leave to journey to Omnipotence City. I will petition the Celestials there for an audience, or, if that fails, seek aid from the Council of Godheads themselves.¡±

    ¡°Uh, that¡¯s fine. Good.¡± Excellent. Thor would head off to Omnipotence City¡ªprobably to go fawn over that blowhard Zeus that he idolised so much¡ªand Loki could go back to ruling Asgard without concern.

    It occurred to him that this sort of little hare-brained adventure was exactly the sort of thing that, in the past, his brother would always have asked him to come along on. He¡¯d sigh and roll his eyes and agree, and enjoy himself despite the fact that he had to clean up after every bad decision that Thor made. They¡¯d quickly get into trouble, of course, but escape it just as easily. Together. Loki felt a slight twinge of regret¡­ the door was closed on those memories. He¡¯d never be able to experience that brotherly comradery again. Even if he were to reveal himself, Thor would never forgive him for everything he¡¯d done, not that forgiveness was something he would ever be able to bring himself to ask for in any case.

    After a slightly awkward pause, he tapped Gungnir on the tiles once again. ¡°I mean, yes. That is my judgement. You will journey to Omnipotence City on this mission of obviously vital importance.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, father. I will not let you down.¡±

    --

    Leaning out of the bed, Natasha fished her phone out of the mess of clothes on the floor. Unlocking it, she tapped at the screen a few times, reading something, then dropped it next to her and sighed. I took the opportunity to snuggle into her, kissing the side of her neck as my fingers traced a slow path down her bare stomach.

    She turned her head, smiling as her nose touched mine, before reached down and gently grabbed my hand to stop it from going any lower. ¡°Sorry, duty calls.¡±

    I made a small noise of disappointment. ¡°Aw. They don¡¯t really need us for anything today, do they?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t need you for anything, no, but I¡¯m on point for the talks with Russia. Maria¡¯s organised a meeting with our UN attach¨¦ in about an hour and a half¡ªI¡¯m probably going be late for the pre-brief as it is.¡± Despite her words, Nat didn¡¯t seem in any particular hurry to move.

    I pouted. ¡°You¡¯re just going to run away and not even offer me breakfast? How rude.¡±

    Leaning forward, she kissed me, lingering on my lips for a few moments before drawing back. ¡°There¡¯s a nice caf¨¦ on the corner. Use Tony¡¯s card.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± I stretched my arms out, disentangling us as I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. ¡°Do you want a portal when you¡¯re ready? I can drop you straight in the Tower lounge.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Actually, that¡¯d be great.¡± Nat crawled over and wrapped her arms around me from behind, the warmth of her breasts pressing into my back. ¡°You¡¯re pretty useful to have around, you know,¡¯ she whispered into my ear. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll keep you after all.¡±

    I reached up, threading my arms over hers and leaning contentedly into the embrace. ¡°I adore you, you know,¡± I murmured, almost immediately regretting saying the words out loud. Way to come on way too strong, Wanda.

    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to get that, yeah.¡±

    Heat rose in my cheeks and I heaved a sigh. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m pathetic, aren¡¯t I? Sorry.¡±

    Nat snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t apologise. It¡¯s cute.¡± Disentangling herself from me, she stood and padded over to the walk-in wardrobe, organising a set of clothes for the day. I watched quietly, enjoying the view as my eyes roved across every curve of her body. She glanced over, a faint smile touching her lips as she noticed me ogling her. ¡°What about you? Did you want to tag along? I¡¯d tell you it¡¯s going to be interesting, but I¡¯d be lying.¡±

    I pulled a face. ¡°No thanks. I am really not interested in the political side of all this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to need to get involved at some point. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re in the country legally at the moment¡ªwe¡¯ll need to sort that all out with US Customs and the Sokovian embassy. They¡¯re not going to be happy.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. I have better things to do.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Like what?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to head over to Hell¡¯s Kitchen. I need to talk to a lawyer.¡± I¡¯d seen a news report yesterday about the arrest of Frank Castle, which meant Elektra would be showing up soon, if she hadn¡¯t already. It had been the better part of a decade since I¡¯d seen the Daredevil series, so I was a bit rusty on the details.

    Nat paused and shot me a curious look. ¡°Nelson and Murdock, right?¡± She chuckled at my confused expression. ¡°You looked them up at the same time as Jessica Jones. I never ended up checking them out. I did some research, though. They represented the dirty cop who flipped on Wilson Fisk. Did you want what I put together, or¡­?¡±

    ¡°I know more than you,¡± I declared airily.

    ¡°Uh huh, is that so?¡±

    ¡°Have you heard of Daredevil?¡±

    ¡°The vigilante? Of course.¡± Natasha bent down and collected her dirty clothes, re-dressing herself temporarily in the underwear and top she¡¯d worn last night, as she considered it. ¡°Wait, Franklin Nelson¡¯s the Daredevil?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I scoffed. ¡°I love Foggy, but he wouldn¡¯t even fit in the suit. Matt Murdock.¡±

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s not blind?¡±

    ¡°He is. It¡¯s complicated. He¡¯s Enhanced.¡±

    ¡°Huh. There¡¯s so many new Enhanced around, it¡¯s getting tough to keep track,¡± Nat mused as she moved to the door and opened it. ¡°I¡¯m going for a quick shower. If you want one, there¡¯s a spare towel under the sink.¡±

    ¡°I could join you?¡± I ventured mischievously, half-standing up from the bed.

    She shot me a flat look. ¡°If you join me, I¡¯ll definitely be late.¡±

    Pouting again as she left, I fell backwards onto the bed and lay there for a few minutes, listening as the faint noise of running water started up in the bathroom. After a little while, I pulled myself to me feet and set about collecting my own clothes from where they lay strewn about on the floor. I¡¯d almost certainly take her up on the offer of a shower¡ªI definitely needed one after last night¡ªbut got dressed for now just so I wasn¡¯t walking around naked.

    Nat returned to the bedroom, a towel wrapped around her, and started to get dressed. ¡°Is Yelena still here?¡± she asked, her tone casual.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ll check.¡± Stretching lazily, I stepped out of the bedroom and padded down the short hall toward the living room. I didn¡¯t see Natasha¡¯s sister on the couch or in the kitchen, but¡ª

    ¡°Wanda Maximoff.¡±

    I just about jumped out of my skin at the unexpected voice, wisps of chaos magic summoned to my hands. Sitting in the armchair in the corner of the room was a bald, dark-skinned man with a goatee and black, pirate-like eyepatch. I recognised him immediately: Nick Fury, former Director of SHIELD and one of the most talented¡ªand paranoid¡ªspies in the world. He was wearing a simple grey button up under a charcoal jacket. If it wasn¡¯t for the eyepatch, he¡¯d be about as bland and nondescript as it was possible for him to be.

    ¡°Jesus Christ, Fury,¡± I breathed, heart pounding in my chest. ¡°You know, one of these days you¡¯re going to startle the wrong person doing that and get blasted through a wall.¡±

    ¡°Am I? See that in one of your visions, did you?¡±

    I dismissed the energy dripping from my hands. ¡°Well, no. I think you always get away with it, annoyingly enough.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°Good to know.¡±

    Looking around, I noted that there was no sign of the younger Widow. ¡°Yelena left already?¡±

    ¡°Said something about being scarred for life.¡±

    Natasha chose that moment to walk out of the bedroom, dressed in simple but professional black skirt and blouse with a slim jacket over the top. She barely shot our uninvited visitor a second glance. ¡°Hey, Nick.¡±

    ¡°Natasha,¡± he acknowledged her.

    Touching my arm, she shot me a brief, encouraging smile. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go, okay? Try not to kill him, bloodstains would be hell to get out of this carpet.¡±

    ¡°Love you too, Nat,¡± Fury said, a hint of amusement in his tone.

    ¡°Is everyone busy today?¡± I asked. ¡°I do have something I want to talk through with you and a few others, if there¡¯s time.¡±

    ¡°Going to drop another bomb on us?¡± Nat chuckled a little, stopped when she saw my expression. She sighed. ¡°Really? At least let us finish the cleanup from the last one first.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s smaller scale than that,¡± I pulled a face, scratching absently at the back of my neck. ¡°It just¡­ I¡¯ve already put this one off for longer than I really should have. It might be a bit messy.¡±

    She paused and looked at me for a few moments. ¡°Alright¡­ is it something we want the whole team in on?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not. You, Bucky and Steve. Maybe Bruce as well? It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s about Tony.¡± Natasha tilted her head curiously and I held up my hands defensively. ¡°Look, I know, I¡¯m not keen to talk about him behind his back, but you¡¯ll understand why we need to talk about it without him when I lay it all out. Trust me? Please.¡±

    Nat sighed and nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll make time this afternoon, after we¡¯re done with the UN. I¡¯ll text you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I slipped my sling ring onto my fingers, gesturing, and red threads of energy came together into a portal with the Avengers Tower lounge on the other side. Nat stepped through, giving me one last lingering look before I dismissed the gateway, leaving Nick and I alone.

    ¡°The portals are a neat trick. Maybe I should get me one of those rings.¡±

    I blinked, thinking about a magic-wielding Nick Fury. ¡°That¡¯d certainly be a curveball. Be my guest¡ªKamar-taj can be a pain in the ass to deal with, but if you end up having a talent for it and they¡¯re willing to teach? It might take a while to learn, but Nick Fury with magic would be a hell of a thing.¡± I turned to look at him properly. ¡°I assume, then, that Maria passed along my message?¡±

    Fury lifted himself out of the armchair and walked slowly toward me, stopping when he was just within arm¡¯s reach. ¡°Look me in the eye and tell me you¡¯ve seen the future.¡±

    I snorted but obliged him, meeting his gaze evenly. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the future, Nick, and it¡¯s pretty fucked.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m assuming Maria filled you in on everything I briefed the Avengers on.¡±

    ¡°She did. Infinity Stones, Mad Titans and Celestials. It all sounds a bit above my pay grade, to be honest.¡±

    ¡°It is. Which is why we need Carol.¡±

    Fury looked at me for a long moment. ¡°Say I did believe you; say you really had seen the future. What are you holding back?¡±

    ¡°Lots of stuff,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°You were the director of SHIELD. More than anyone, I expect you understand the value in compartmentalising information.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯m not the director of anybody anymore. I¡¯m just an old man.¡±

    ¡°I suppose there¡¯s something I can tell you. Do you know what¡¯s going on with Hank Pym?¡±

    ¡°Pym?¡± he asked, suddenly very attentive.

    ¡°Darren Cross, the Pym Tech CEO, is bad news. He¡¯s either close to replicating Pym particles or already has, I¡¯m not sure. He¡¯s planning on selling a weaponised version of the Ant-Man suit¡ªyou know about the Ant-Man, right?¡ªhe calls it the Yellowjacket. Actually, you keep your ear to the ground¡­ am I telling you anything you don¡¯t already know?¡±

    ¡°The unveiling is tomorrow night,¡± Fury acknowledged. ¡°I was keeping an eye on it.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡± I paused for a moment, filing that information away. Always good to know when exactly things were happening. ¡°There¡¯s a HYDRA guy looking to buy the tech. Ex?SHIELD, he worked with Hank, Peggy and Howard back in the day. I can¡¯t remember his name.¡±

    ¡°I think I might know the man you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°Hank¡¯s handling it, though, and he won¡¯t appreciate it if you stick your nose in. It should all work out on its own. I don¡¯t think anything else I¡¯ve done should have any real impact on that. Pym tech is extremely dangerous¡­ I don¡¯t really want to go near it.¡± Pym particles were wild¡ªthe things you could do with them were complete nonsense.

    Fury snorted. ¡°So you¡¯re just palming it off on me?¡±

    ¡°Hey, you asked what I was holding back,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Maybe just keep on keeping an eye on things. Hank¡¯s grooming a successor, a guy called Scott Lang. He¡¯s¡­ well, I guess he¡¯s a bit like me. Best of intentions, bit of a fuck up, but comes good in the end.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll look into it.¡±

    ¡°And Carol?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Fury walked slowly over toward the door. Opening it, he looked back at me. ¡°The Witch and the Widow, huh?¡±

    ¡°Got a problem with it?¡±

    He shook his head, a slight smile on his lips. ¡°Not at all.¡±

 Chapter 26

    An hour later, I was showered and heading out. Before I left, I deadbolted the front door from the inside then spun a portal to just outside of it, heading down the stairs to street level. I walked out onto the sidewalk, a spring in my step as I made my way toward the caf¨¦ on the corner, Tony Stark¡¯s credit card burning a hole in my pocket. A few minutes later, I was sitting down at a small table outside with a breakfast bagel and a coffee¡ªit had taken a moment of awkwardly explaining what a ¡®long black¡¯ was to the barista, but it turned out decent enough.

    I people-watched for a bit as I ate, not really thinking about anything in particular other than the evening I¡¯d spent with Natasha. Should I text her? No, no; way too soon. Play it cool. She was already going to text me about this afternoon, I had to wait for that.

    I sighed softly. That wasn¡¯t going to be a fun conversation¡ªI could have done it sooner, but ripping off the band-aid about Bucky and Tony¡¯s parents was never going to be fun and I¡¯d been avoiding it. He needed to know what had happened and he needed to be in a situation where he wasn¡¯t going to have a complete and utter meltdown when he found out. What I¡¯d done with Nat had worked out pretty well, so that seemed like a good model to stick with. Lay out the facts, provide some suggestions on approach, then let the Avengers decide how handle it.

    My thoughts turned back to Natasha¡ªher smile, her eyes, the way just being near her felt, the softness of her lips, the curves of her body¡­ I realised I had a huge, stupid grin on my face and rubbed my cheeks, chuckling softly to myself. God, I really was pathetic. Utterly besotted.

    The bagel was great and quickly disappeared, and I found myself greedily eyeing off a piece of orange cake sitting in the caf¨¦¡¯s glass counter display. It wasn¡¯t like I was in a rush, right?

    There was a prickling sensation at the base of my neck and I suddenly felt like I was being watched. A large black crow had just alighted on a tree just down the sidewalk. I stared at it for a moment and it let out a loud, clear caw. That¡­ wasn¡¯t the same crow I saw the other day, was it? I knew that was a bit unlikely. There were heaps of birds in New York. It didn¡¯t look particularly distinctive, apart from being pretty damn big. Was it actually a crow, or a raven? I vaguely knew the difference, but it was difficult to pick out details at this distance. Could it be¡ª

    ¡°Wanda.¡±

    I snapped out of my musings with a start. While I¡¯d been spacing out, Jessica Jones had approached the table, her forehead already creased by a frown. ¡°Oh, Jessica, hi! Want to join me?¡± I asked, gesturing to the seat opposite me. ¡°What are you up to this morning?¡±

    She hesitated a moment before sitting, staring at me intently. The PI was dressed simply, blue jeans and a black leather jacket over a simple grey top. ¡°I came to talk to you, actually.¡±

    ¡°Huh. How did you find me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s literally my job.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Tell me what you know about IGH.¡±

    I held up a hand. ¡°Hang on, walk me through this. You knew I¡¯d be at this caf¨¦ somehow? Or did you follow me from Natasha¡¯s apartment?¡± She shot me an unimpressed look and I squinted at her, tilting my head curiously. ¡°You remember I can make portals, right?¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°What were you going to do if I¡¯d just portalled out of the apartment and never came down?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you going to tell me what you know, or not?¡±

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to know anything I had to say?¡± I asked mildly, taking a sip of my coffee and finding that I¡¯d sadly reached the bottom of the cup.

    A look of annoyance flashed across her face and she leant back in the chair, arms folded tightly across her chest. ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry again for dumping all that on you at the party. It wasn¡¯t fair, but I didn¡¯t know how else to tell you. You¡¯re not exactly the most approachable person.¡±

    There was a pause. After a few moments, Jessica sighed and loosened her posture. ¡°That¡¯s fair, I guess,¡± she said, a little grudgingly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make you a deal. You can pick my brain about whatever I remember about IGH and in return you come with me. There¡¯s someone I¡¯d like you to meet.¡±

    ¡°And who¡¯s that?¡± she asked, voice laced with suspicion.

    ¡°Matt Murdock¡ªhe¡¯s a lawyer. You two would end up working together eventually, anyway. I was going to go to see him and I figure I might as well introduce you two a little early.¡±

    There was another slight hesitation, then Jessica nodded. ¡°Fine.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯m going to be honest, I don¡¯t remember a lot.¡± It had been almost a full decade since I¡¯d watched the Jessica Jones series, so the details mostly eluded me. ¡°IGH did genetic editing for medical purposes, but ended up somehow making Enhanced. They¡¯re the ones that picked up your hospital bill after the accident and I guess they added a little extra spice to your treatment as an experiment. You should try to get a hold of the hospital¡¯s file on you. They also got into creating drugs that increase strength and reflexes¡ªthat¡¯s the stuff that Trish took, the combat enhancers. They have nasty mental side-effects, psychosis and stuff. There¡¯s a guy, a doctor. I can¡¯t remember his name. Gave Simpson the drugs.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not helpful.¡±

    I snapped my fingers a couple of times as I thought back. ¡°Trish should know his name, I think. Simpson told her. He¡¯s your best lead. I think he¡¯d been killed by the time you tried to find him in my visions, but this is early so you should still be able to find and talk to him. He¡¯s an asshole. There¡¯s another doctor as well, a woman. She siphoned patients from the hospital you were treated at to IGH.¡±

    ¡°Let me guess, you don¡¯t remember her name, either.¡±

    ¡°Hey, how about you view the universe untethered by time and see how many details you forget.¡±

    ¡°You said¡­¡± Jessica exhaled in a loud sigh. ¡°You said that my mom was alive.¡± There was a barely-concealed waver in her voice, hope warring with frustration and anxiety.

    It was my turn to hesitate. ¡°She¡¯s not well. She was experimented on as well, but she progressed to full-blown psychosis. I think it was too risky for them to release her, so they didn¡¯t. Well, except for when they wanted to use her as a weapon to murder someone. Simpson¡¯s doctor sent her after Trish for asking too many questions. Will send. Won¡¯t send now, I guess. Ugh, tenses are weird when I¡¯m talking about this stuff.¡±

    ¡°This guy has my mom?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he has her,¡± I hedged. There was another guy that ran IGH, the doctor that Jessica¡¯s mother ended up in a relationship with, but I really couldn¡¯t remember anything about him at all and I didn¡¯t think dropping that particular bomb on her without context was going to provide any benefit. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t, he almost certainly knows where she is.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± I protested as she stood and turned to walk away. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    Jessica whipped her head back and shot me what might have actually been the most venomous look I¡¯d ever seen. ¡°What?¡±

    I held up my hands nonthreateningly. ¡°You said you¡¯d come meet Murdock with me.¡±

    Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes for a moment and took a long breath. ¡°Will this take long?¡±

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t. We can just portal there. I already Street View¡¯ed the address.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    I stood up, glancing around at the few people that were nearby. ¡°Maybe we should do this somewhere less public. Let¡¯s walk back to Natasha¡¯s building and we¡¯ll go from there.¡± She acknowledged the suggestion with a shrug and we left the caf¨¦. As we walked together, Jessica thrust her hands into her jacket pockets, glaring straight ahead. ¡°You know, it wouldn¡¯t kill you to be a little nicer to me, considering,¡± I said mildly.

    She shot me a huge, exaggeratedly fake smile. ¡°You know, when the Avengers first told me about you, I thought you were going to be a real pain in the ass to deal with. And when we first met, I really didn''t like you.¡±

    I waited for a moment, then frowned when nothing else seemed to be forthcoming. ¡°Is¡­ is that the end of that sentence? There''s no second part?¡±

    ¡°No. That¡¯s all I wanted to say.¡±

    ¡°¡­Rude.¡± Despite her words, I swore I saw the ghost of a smirk curve the corner of her mouth.

    Once we arrived back at Natasha¡¯s building, we walked up to the front door and I spun a portal into existence almost flat against it. On the other side, we stepped through to a significantly less well-maintained street, gutters clogged with leaf litter and bags of trash piled on the sidewalk next to a graffitied fire hydrant.

    On the other side of the street was a relatively nondescript building with a fa?ade made of rough, irregularly-shaped bricks. Screwed to one of the dull, red-painted pillars that framed the entrance was a small plaque, black with raised bronze lettering in all capitals: NELSON AND MURDOCK, ATTORNEYS AT LAW. We crossed the street to the door, a wrought iron mesh affair covered in peeling beige paint. We let ourselves in and headed up a flight of stairs to the actual office. There were several other businesses operating out of the building, each with a business name stencilled on a frosted glass window set into the wood of their front door.

    I opened the door to our destination and we walked in. The waiting room wasn¡¯t much to look at; they didn¡¯t even have a bench or proper matching seats, just a haphazard collection of folding chairs, with a flimsy card table tucked into a corner with some magazines and a lamp on it. Karen Page, their office manager, looked up from the newspaper she was reading as we entered¡ªits pages deconstructed and spread chaotically across her desk¡ªand shot us a brilliant smile. ¡°Hi!¡± She stood up as she greeted us. ¡°How can I help you?¡± God, she was pretty. Pale skin, with long, dead-straight blonde hair with strawberry highlights.

    ¡°Hi!¡± I said, matching her energy. Jessica folded her arms and fell back a bit, letting me take the lead. ¡°We need to speak with Matt Murdock. Apologies for not making an appointment, but it¡¯s a bit urgent.¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry. He¡¯s not in right now. Is there something I can help you with?¡±

    I tried not to pull too much of a face. Karen didn¡¯t know about Matt¡¯s vigilantism at this point, I was pretty sure. ¡°Uh, what about Foggy?¡± I glanced to the side, looking through a glass window into his office. He was seated at his desk, and looked up at me at basically the same time. I shot him a hopeful smile and started toward his door.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°Sure, let me just check to see if he¡¯s available.¡± Karen moved quickly, trying to intercept me before I just waltzed into Foggy¡¯s office. ¡°Miss¡­?¡±

    ¡°Wanda. Wanda Maximoff. And that¡¯s Jessica Jones,¡± I said as she stepped in front of me.

    She was quick, but Foggy had already perked up and was moving toward the door as well. He opened it and she turned to shoot him a slightly annoyed look. ¡°Uh, I have a Wanda Maximoff and Jessica Jones here to see you. They don¡¯t have an appointment, but they said it was urgent.¡±

    ¡°Franklin Nelson,¡± Foggy introduced himself with a smile, holding out a hand. ¡°Uh, that¡¯s fine, Karen. How can I help you ladies?¡±

    I shook his offered hand, grinning at him. ¡°Hi, Foggy. Actually, we need to talk to Matt. Is he working today? Do you know where he is?¡±

    He shook his head, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said apologetically. ¡°Matt¡¯s unavailable at the moment. What¡ª¡±

    I interrupted him. ¡°We really need to talk to him. It¡¯s about his¡­ uh. Extracurricular activities.¡± I waggled my eyebrows.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure what you mean?¡± To his credit, Foggy had an excellent poker face¡ªnot even a slight widening of the eyes, and he actually sounded convincingly puzzled when he spoke.

    I tilted my head toward Karen, flicking my eyes in her direction. ¡°Sure, right. Can we, uh, talk privately for a second?¡±

    He huffed a small sigh, then shook his head in a semi-defeated shrug. ¡°¡­Okay. Follow me.¡±

    With one last glance at a concerned-looking Karen, Foggy led us through to his office. Closing the door firmly behind us, he stepped over toward his desk and hesitated. ¡°Is Matt in trouble?¡± he asked quietly.

    ¡°He might be. I really need to reach him. It¡¯s about¡­ well, you know. Hero stuff.¡±

    He paused, looking at me slightly uncertainly. ¡°Matt hasn¡¯t mentioned you.¡±

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have, we haven¡¯t met yet. It¡¯s hard to explain.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know. Okay. Let me¡­ let me see if I can call him.¡±

    Foggy took out his smart phone, careful not to take his eyes off of us. It rang a few times before Matt answered. ¡°Uh, hey. We¡¯ve got a pretty intense woman who¡¯s come by the office looking for you. Said her name¡¯s Wanda Maximoff and that she has to talk to you urgently about your, uh, extracurricular activities.¡± I could hear Matt responding on the other end, but not well enough to make out his words. ¡°Yeah, pretty sure. Uh, no. Not at all.¡±

    ¡°Tell him it¡¯s about Elektra,¡± I said.

    ¡°Uh, she said it¡¯s about Elektra? ¡­Sure. Okay. Got it.¡± He hung up and looked at us. ¡°Matt¡¯s on his way, he won¡¯t be long.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Foggy. I appreciate it. Sorry for dumping all this on you so suddenly.¡±

    He grinned and it only seemed very slightly forced. ¡°That¡¯s okay. I think my most pressing question is why is literally everyone Matt knows involved in this stuff a beautiful woman?¡±

    Jessica blinked, caught slightly off guard by the comment. I grinned. ¡°Elektra¡¯s another, sorry to say. It¡¯s his curse to bear: to be forever surrounded by beautiful women without being able to fully understand just how hot we all are.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a curse all right,¡± Foggy snorted.

    ¡°We¡¯ll let you get back to whatever you were doing. Thanks again.¡± He gave me a worried look as Jess and I stepped back out into the waiting room. Karen didn¡¯t quite glare at me and I smiled at her apologetically. ¡°Matt¡¯s on his way. We¡¯ll just wait quietly. Sorry to be a pain.¡±

    We settled into a pair of folding chairs to wait. Karen went back to what she was doing, glancing at us every so often when she thought we weren¡¯t looking.

    ¡°You really are just that clueless, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jessica asked me after a while.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°These people have never met you before,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°You have no idea how off-balance you put people when you sweep in like this and bulldoze over them like you know everything, do you?¡±

    I turned to look at her, shaking my head. ¡°Believe me, I do know. I¡¯ve tried other things¡­ at least I know I can get some results this way. Even if it doesn¡¯t earn me any friends.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that this guy will even listen to you?¡±

    ¡°You did, didn¡¯t you?¡± I grinned at her annoyed expression. ¡°You wanted nothing to do with me, yet here you are. I¡¯m growing on you, right? You¡¯re starting to like me. I can tell.¡±

    ¡°Not even close.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t lie to me, Jess. I¡¯ve seen the future. We¡¯re going to be BFFs.¡±

    The corner of her mouth twitched as she tried not to react. I was definitely getting through to her a little bit.

    Fifteen minutes later, Matt Murdock¡ªDaredevil himself¡ªstepped into the office, walking stick in hand, a set of dark red tinted sunglasses over his eyes. He ushered us into his office after a warm smile at Karen, and the door was closed behind us. Matt smiled warmly as he sat down, Jess and I settling into the chairs opposite him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve met, Ms Maximoff, and¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t catch your name.¡± His head was tilted slightly off to the side, as if he were looking past us instead of at us.

    ¡°Jessica. Jessica Jones.¡±

    ¡°Ms Jones,¡± he acknowledged her with a smile. ¡°So, what brings you to see me?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, turning to Jessica. She raised an eyebrow. ¡°How should I do this, then? You didn¡¯t like how I approached you, so here: Show me what I did wrong.¡±

    The PI set her jaw, shaking her head. ¡°You¡ª¡± After a moment, she let out an annoyed huff. ¡°You weren¡¯t wrong. I guess. I probably wouldn¡¯t have listened if you¡¯d been softer about things,¡± she admitted grudgingly.

    ¡°Okay.¡± I turned back to Matt. ¡°Elektra is working for Stick.¡± He was generally pretty good at hiding his reactions, but he visibly flinched when I said that. ¡°She¡¯s a liar and she¡¯s trying to manipulate you. Don¡¯t follow her, don¡¯t help her. She¡¯s expecting you to do exactly that so she can manipulate you into position for Stick to use as a weapon again.¡±

    He paused as he processed that, jaw working for a moment before he spoke again, letting out an anxious little laugh as he did so. ¡°Alright, Ms Maximoff¡­¡±

    ¡°Wanda, please.¡±

    ¡°Wanda. How do you know any of that? How do you know about Elektra? About Stick?¡± He¡¯d shifted his posture, sitting forward slightly to allow him to spring smoothly to his feet if the need arose, and his tone was slightly sharper.

    ¡°I have abilities, like you. Well, not exactly like you¡ªkind of way cooler, if I¡¯m being honest¡ªbut I just know things. Things I shouldn¡¯t be able to know. It¡¯s hard to explain. You know what that¡¯s like, right?¡±

    His grip tightened on the handle of his walking stick as he flexed his knuckles. ¡°Why are you here? If you¡¯re not working with Stick or the Yakuza¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just here to help. The people you¡¯re involved with are more dangerous that you know.¡±

    Jess spoke up, her voice terse. ¡°She¡¯s a pain in the ass, but she seems to know what she¡¯s talking about for the most part. You should listen to her.¡±

    ¡°It all comes back to Midland Circle,¡± I said. ¡°Nobu wasn¡¯t just some guy that Fisk sent after you, he represented a very particular interest that wanted to acquire that specific block. They own it now. Everyone thinks they¡¯re Yakuza¡ªthey don¡¯t do much to disabuse people of that notion¡ªbut that¡¯s not what they are. Elektra is lying to you about that¡­ or will lie to you about that, if she hasn¡¯t shown up yet.¡±

    Matt took a deep breath. ¡°What do you mean, if she hasn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated, dude,¡± Jess interjected again and I tried not to smile¡ªshe was on my side, here! ¡°Just focus on the details for now.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ What are they, then? If they¡¯re not Yakuza?¡±

    ¡°The Hand. It¡¯s an ancient organisation. Basically evil ninjas, I guess. Your buddy, Stick, belongs to an opposing organisation called the Chaste.¡±

    ¡°¡­Stick¡¯s War,¡± he said quietly.

    ¡°Yeah. Madame Gao¡¯s actually one of them, too, a different faction of the same organisation,¡± I snapped my fingers, suddenly remembering something. ¡°Nobu isn¡¯t dead, by the way. I mean, he was, but he got better. He¡¯ll be coming soon.¡±

    Matt¡¯s head turned toward me, brow creased in confusion. ¡°What do you mean he isn¡¯t dead? He¡ª¡±

    ¡°Burned to death? You saw it? Yeah. Like I said, he got better. High ranking members of the Hand tend to do that, unfortunately. They can bring back the dead, if there¡¯s enough left of them to bring back.¡±

    Jess looked at me sharply. ¡°They can bring back the dead?¡±

    ¡°I know it sounds like a lot, but yeah. I think there¡¯s a limited window of time they have to do it in. It can mess with the person¡¯s mind, though, and consumes a limited resource. They can¡¯t just bring everyone back.¡±

    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± she scoffed in disbelief, shaking her head. ¡°Ninjas that bring back the dead. Why am I even here?¡±

    ¡°You and Matt worked together to bring these guys down, along with a couple of others. Or you will work together. Or maybe you won¡¯t have to¡ªI¡¯m thinking about trying to get the Avengers in on this. We have some time to decide how to handle it.¡±

    ¡°The Avengers?¡± Matt asked, a note of surprise in his voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m actually staying in Avengers Tower at the moment,¡± I said, maybe a little bit smugly. ¡°I¡¯ve been helping them out with a few things.¡±

    ¡°You said this all comes back to Midland Circle. Why?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re excavating under it, looking for something buried underneath. An ancient treasure. It¡¯s going to take a while¡­ I think a year, at least. Maybe.¡± I shot a glance over at Jessica. ¡°I¡¯m not certain on timeframes.¡±

    Matt was silent for a few moments. ¡°¡­Elektra showed up in my apartment last night,¡± he admitted. His knuckles flexed again, walking stick creaking slightly under the pressure. ¡°Let¡¯s just assume I believe you for the moment¡­¡±

    --

    Agatha stepped out into the small rooftop garden, trimmed hedges and miniature trees flanking a perfectly manicured lawn. She stepped carefully across the grass, toward where the garden¡¯s sole other occupant sat perched on a low stone bench, facing away from her. Beyond the bench was a square pool, a small stone fountain in the shape of a frog on the opposite side spitting a small stream of water into the air.

    The elderly Chinese woman rose to her feet as the witch approached, leaning heavily on her wooden cane. Her hair was drawn back in a loose bun, and she wore small golden hoops through her ears. ¡°H¨§n g¨¡ox¨¬ng ji¨¤n d¨¤o n¨«, h¨¥i p¨ª sh¨± de Agatha. Y¨«j¨©ng h¨§nji¨³le,¡± she said, a small smile creasing her wrinkled features.

    Agatha inclined her head slightly awkwardly in a small bow. ¡°Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, Madame Gao. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve gotten a little rusty on my Mandarin over the last century.¡±

    ¡°No need to thank me.¡± She sat back down, a little shaky on her feet¡ªan affectation, Agatha suspected¡ªand gestured for the witch to do the same. ¡°The Hand still honour the old agreements. What brings you to New York?¡±

    Agatha sat as indicated, crossing her legs at the ankle. ¡°I¡¯m hunting.¡±

    She was not overly friendly with the Hand, but dealing with them in the past had been the cost of staying alive. They were both part of the same loose, informal network of organisations that had been adversaries of the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven and their Earthly allies over the centuries. An agreement had been reached, centuries ago, to avoid getting in each other¡¯s ways while fighting their ancient foes.

    It was considered polite to offer a signal when moving into an unfamiliar territory for an extended period of time, to alert any of the current occupants that a new player had arrived and open a channel for negotiations. Though her prey seemed to have roosted in New York for a time, Agatha was unsure how long she would remain in the city. Accordingly, she thought it was safer to follow the custom out of courtesy, just in case she ended up having to cause a ruckus.

    New York was such a significant location that she would have been shocked if she hadn¡¯t gotten any reply, but she¡¯d been vaguely surprised to find that one of the Fingers of the Hand¡ªtheir circle of leaders¡ªhad personally set up shop in the area. She¡¯d met Madame Gao a couple of times before over the last three centuries and, immortal to immortal, the woman seemed to be the most stable of the Fingers.

    ¡°Ah. Your quarry must be quite interesting. I believe it has been near enough to a hundred years since you were last seen straying from your home,¡± Gao note, an unspoken question in her statement. ¡°Publicly, at least.¡±

    The witch grinned. ¡°Yeah, well, I don¡¯t want to make a fuss. There¡¯s a woman, seems to be hanging around the Avengers lately. Wanda something.¡± She held up a hand and a massive crow, black and sleek of feather, descended from the sky to alight on her wrist. Bringing the creature down into her lap, she muttered an incantation and the bird was replaced with a fuzzy, piebald rabbit in a flare of black-edged purple energy. ¡°Se?or Scratchy has been keeping an eye on her for me, haven¡¯t you? Haven¡¯t you?¡± she cooed over the demon.

    The Scarlet Witch had been an absolute bitch and a half to keep track of¡ªshe seemed very happy to abuse the sorcerers¡¯ translocation spellwork and had been bouncing back and forth across the globe like a pinball. Agatha had her own methods of travel through the Ways but they were not nearly as convenient or quick, so she had decided to wait and observe until that behaviour changed. When her target had finally settled in New York and seemed content to stay put for a least a little while, Agatha had decided to move in and plan her approach.

    ¡°The Avengers?¡± Madame Gao¡¯s face twisted in distaste. ¡°It would be best if you finished your business quickly, then. I have had my fill of so-called heroes of late.¡±

    ¡°Already the plan. I¡¯m not going to hang around for too long.¡±

    Gao sighed, a note of disappointment in her voice. ¡°I had thought I might seek your assistance with something, but I have no desire to risk drawing the sort of attention you may draw in your hunt. Our business here is delicate and the remaining Chaste are already intent on interfering.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Stay out of my way, I¡¯ll stay out of yours. Just like old times.¡±

    The elderly woman shrugged, both hands leaning on the curved head of her cane. ¡°The wheel constantly turns. We must adapt to its position, or be crushed beneath it.¡±

    Agatha smiled and nodded. ¡°¡­Uh, yeah. Sure. It¡¯s been just lovely to see you again, Madame Gao, but I really must be off. No rest for the wicked, after all.¡±

    She needed to observe Wanda for a little longer and get a better understanding of what she was facing before she¡¯d feel comfortable closing in on her prey. The Scarlet Witch was a legendary figure, after all, and Agatha hadn¡¯t lived as long as she had by not being careful.

 Chapter 27

    Natasha sighed as they entered the elevator, letting her shoulders relax as she leant back and rested against the cool metal. She¡¯d texted Wanda while they were on the way back to the Tower to let her know that the meeting she¡¯d asked for was on for this evening. It had been a little tricky to organise without Tony catching on¡ªshe trusted Wanda that meeting behind his back was necessary for whatever it was she had to say, but Nat really didn¡¯t relish the idea of navigating the resulting conversation if he¡¯d realised that that¡¯s what they were doing. Luckily, Pepper was arriving in New York this afternoon and some polite conversation had revealed that Tony had dinner plans with her, so he would be conveniently out of the Tower.

    ¡°Well, that was a shitshow and a half,¡± Tony commented. ¡°You¡¯d think they might be a little more grateful, but I guess I should lower my expectations. It¡¯s not like they learned from the whole HYDRA debacle.¡±

    Nat shrugged, shooting him a wry smile. ¡°It could have been worse. I think we handled ourselves pretty well in there.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been awfully perky today,¡± he noted, eyeing her.

    ¡°Had a good night.¡±

    ¡°Slept well?¡±

    The elevator doors opened and Nat stepped out past him, carefully turning around to walk backwards for a few paces as she shot him a lopsided grin. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m exhausted.¡±

    She was actually tempted to have a bit of a snooze in her bunk in the Tower for a couple of hours, but was a little worried that if she lay down, she might not be able to get back up again. Though she was reasonably confident she¡¯d been masking it well, her legs had been so weak and wobbly all day that she¡¯d almost physically had trouble walking out of her apartment that morning. She¡¯d been incredibly grateful that Wanda had been able to portal her to the Tower and that she¡¯d been able to spend basically the entirely morning sitting down. Just the ten-minute walk from Avengers Tower to UN Headquarters had been a massive struggle.

    Last night had been¡­ energetic. Nat had previously had suspicions about Wanda being physically Enhanced and it had been gratifying to have Steve confirm the details of that with her earlier this morning. Ignoring for now the added difficulties with Wakanda, it very neatly explained Wanda¡¯s seemingly limitless stamina.

    Without overstating anything, Natasha was extensively skilled in the bedroom. It had been a part of her training in the Red Room and she was confident she¡¯d only gotten better as she¡¯d gained experience. Wanda had been clearly less practiced, but she was extremely enthusiastic and just did not seem to get tired. Even after several actual, literal hours of various activities that had left Natasha a weak, sweat-drenched, quivering mess, Wanda had seemed basically fine. In the end Nat had to tap out, which was definitely a novel experience for her.

    ¡°Huh,¡± Tony grunted noncommittally.

    Natasha frowned slightly. Normally she¡¯d have expected a crude joke in response. Out of anyone on the team, Tony was by far the least uptight about this sort of thing. Which meant it was the ¡®who¡¯ that he had a problem with. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Can I borrow you for a sec?¡± Tony asked, tilting his head toward the briefing room.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    He glanced around as they walked in, checking to see if anyone else was nearby through the glass walls, and Nat started to worry a little bit. Walking over to the far side of the room, he leant against the wall next to one of the screens, arms folded across his chest. ¡°So, Wanda and her ¡®visions¡¯. What do you think so far?¡±

    Nat shrugged. ¡°She was right. About all of it¡ªthe Red Room, Dreykov, Yelena. They¡¯d managed to conceal themselves from SHIELD and HYDRA. If she didn¡¯t see it the way she says she did, I don¡¯t have a better explanation. I¡¯m starting to believe her.¡±

    ¡°Thought you might say that,¡± he said with a sigh, shooting her a concerned look. ¡°I don¡¯t trust her. She seems like a nice enough kid, means well and all, but she¡¯s still keeping stuff from us. You know that, right?¡±

    ¡°I mean, yeah, of course she is. What do you expect her to do, just¡­ literally walk us through every little thing she saw? Decades¡¯ worth of experiences?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, it¡¯d be better than getting drip-fed the cliff notes whenever she feels like it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it would be, to be honest. The whole Red Room thing¡­¡± She looked away from him and shook her head. ¡°Honestly, it had the potential to be really messy. Dreykov being alive all this time, Antonia still being alive¡­ I appreciated the way she chose to handle it. We just aren¡¯t operating from the same context as her.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why we need that context?¡±

    ¡°Tony¡­ you¡¯re being a little unreasonable.¡±

    ¡°Am I?¡± He retrieved his phone from his pocket and tapped at the screen a few times. With a flicking motion, he transferred data from the device to the display next to him. It lit up with what looked like a series of scanned pages from a notebook, fragmented, messy handwriting on cheap, lined paper. ¡°Did you know she¡¯s still keeping a hotel room in Australia? I had some of the Iron Legion check it out. Little Miss Magic has been keeping notes. Thanks for keeping her busy all night, by the way.¡±

    ¡°What the hell, Tony?¡± Nat said, narrowing her eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was careful. She won¡¯t notice. Anyway, I use the term ¡®notes¡¯ loosely¡ªit¡¯s a real mess. I figure she¡¯s been deliberately writing it in shorthand and stuff just in case someone found it, but I¡¯ve got JARVIS running some algorithms over it, see if there¡¯s something we can maybe decipher, look up, cross-reference. Maybe we can catch some of the bigger picture she¡¯s been keeping from us.¡± He paused, gauging Nat¡¯s expression, then rolled his eyes. ¡°What? Black Widow is objecting to a little bit of simple spycraft now? Hope your judgement¡¯s not compromised, Romanov.¡±

    ¡°You have your ways of getting information, I have mine,¡± she said, a little defensively.

    The reality was that she was feeling compromised. If this was an actual mission, she¡¯d have asked her handler to pull her out by now. When she¡¯d originally approached Wanda, Natasha just hadn¡¯t intended for things to go this far. The plan had been to flirt, lay down some implications, string her along until they were confident that they had her full cooperation going forward, then let her down gently. She still wasn¡¯t quite sure how it had happened but, somewhere along the way, she¡¯d caught some genuine feelings. At first, she¡¯d thought that maybe she was just going soft¡ªit had been a long time since she¡¯d honey trapped someone, after all, but at a certain point she had to admit to herself what she was feeling.

    She¡¯d enjoyed herself at the party. Wanda¡¯s earnestness was endearing. She was incorrigibly flirtatious and liked to push boundaries, but was so adorably helpless and easily flustered when someone pushed back. And, despite everything she seemed to know, everything she might have seen¡­ she was still somehow utterly convinced that Natasha was a good person. That she wasn¡¯t a monster. Just talking to Wanda for a little while¡­ her sincerity, the conviction with which she spoke¡­ it was enough to make Natasha¡¯s opinion of herself waver, just a tiny bit. To see herself, even if for just a moment, the way that Wanda saw her.

    Then there had been the Red Room. If it had been literally anyone else, she¡¯d have been able to keep her defences up, but Wanda knew things. Not just about what had happened¡­ she knew how Nat felt. At the time, it seemed like Wanda understood how she felt better that Natasha herself did.

    It was an unfamiliar, almost scary, feeling, not being able to lie to someone. There was no pretending, no keeping herself closed off¡ªshe was completely defenceless and vulnerable, everything on the table. And Wanda was just so damn unrelentingly sincere and supportive the whole time. Utterly determined to be there and do whatever she could to support her, while still seemingly knowing exactly when to step back and let Nat take the lead or give her space and privacy to work through things with Yelena.

    Afterwards, Natasha had wanted to thank her and, while the lewder implication had initially been intended as a flirty joke, their little date had turned out basically perfect. When it had come time for it to end, Nat had found that she just¡­ didn¡¯t want it to. Sex wasn¡¯t normally a big deal for her. Her time at the Red Room had thoroughly disabused her of any of the normal emotional associations with it¡ªit had been a tool to be used to her advantage like any other. When she¡¯d invited Wanda upstairs, however, she¡¯d had an unfamiliar knot of anxiety and excitement in her stomach.

    ¡°Uh huh,¡± he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll bet you¡¯ve been pumping her for information. Just really getting in there.¡±

    ¡°Tony¡­¡± Nat said warningly.

    ¡°Look, I won¡¯t tell you to be careful. You¡¯re not an idiot; you know to be careful. I just don¡¯t think we can trust her. Not completely. Not yet.¡± He dismissed the scanned imagines with a wave.

    ¡°I get where you¡¯re coming from, Tony, just¡­¡± she took a breath. ¡°Talk to me, first, before you do something like this again, okay?¡±

    He looked at her for a few moments, tapping his phone against his palm absently, then nodded. ¡°Fine.¡±

    --

    ¡°Okay¡­ so.¡± I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts, looking around the assembled group. Natasha had pulled together the group of people I¡¯d asked for¡ªher, Steve, Bucky and Bruce¡ªand we were currently all seated around the table in the Tower¡¯s briefing room.

    ¡°You said this was about Tony,¡± she prompted me.

    I nodded, then turned to Bucky and shot him an apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯m really, really sorry to put you on the spot like this, but the sooner we resolve this the better.¡± He went still, a flicker of understanding in his eyes¡ªhe knew what was coming. I turned back to the others. ¡°Tony¡¯s parents didn¡¯t die in a car accident. They were murdered. Assassinated, I guess, technically.¡±

    ¡°¡­The Winter Soldier,¡± Bruce murmured, glancing over at Bucky with an unreadable expression.

    Steve and Nat exchanged a quick, guilty look¡ªthey hadn¡¯t specifically known it was Bucky, but they¡¯d been aware for some time that HYDRA had something to do with the death of Tony¡¯s parents. They could have discovered it on their own, but I think that some part of Steve probably hadn¡¯t wanted to dig, hadn¡¯t wanted to find out the truth. He reached over and put his hand on Bucky¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It wasn¡¯t you. You didn¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°¡­it was me, Steve. It was my hands. I remember¡­ I remember them.¡± He took a deep breath and looked down at the table, avoiding everyone¡¯s gazes. ¡°I remember all of them.¡±

    ¡°I doubt you¡¯ve looked into getting therapy yet, Buck, but trust me¡ªyou really do need it.¡± I glanced over at Steve for a moment. ¡°Make sure he does. Setting that aside for now, let¡¯s refocus on Tony. He¡¯s really not going to take the news well. Like¡­ at the wrong time, it could be absolutely catastrophic.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s talked a little about his parents before,¡± said Bruce quietly. ¡°How much he regrets not having a chance to say goodbye. I think he¡¯s got a lot of mixed-up feelings about it and, I mean, you know Tony. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s gone to therapy.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to intrude on this,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s obviously really personal and he¡¯s not going to appreciate me poking my nose into it. You need to decide the best way of doing this, but I think Pepper should definitely be there when you break the news. Maybe see if Rhodey can be available if you need him, too.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Steve nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. ¡°Something happened in your visions. It was bad?¡±

    I took a deep breath, weighing how much was worth getting into. ¡°I can¡¯t really explain it properly. There are a lot of things that are different, so everything¡¯s a bit jumbled up¡ªa lot of it just wouldn¡¯t make sense now. The team was already tense. There were some other things that had happened. A lot of friction. It sort of came out at the worst possible moment.¡± I made a face, then glanced toward Bucky again. ¡°Tony tried to kill you. He was angry, hurting. Pushed to his breaking point. You and Steve fought him. It¡­ it was the end of the Avengers, basically. It broke the team apart.¡± Bucky seemed to grow smaller with every word out of my mouth, still looking down at the table.

    There was an awkward, drawn-out silence as everyone processed that. ¡°We could show him what we have of the Winter Soldier program?¡± Steve suggested, his tone subdued. ¡°Refresh his memory on what Bucky¡¯s been through, what HYDRA did to him¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡­ it feels like it¡¯s just making excuses,¡± Bucky said quietly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not making excuses, Buck. I know you feel guilty, but it literally wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°That aside, I don¡¯t think an intellectual approach is going to work that well. Tony¡¯s going to be emotional, he¡¯s not going to rationally be thinking it through, he¡¯s going to be thinking ¡®he killed my mom¡¯.¡±

    Everyone went internal again for a few minutes as they grappled with the issue. Eventually, Nat broke the silence. ¡°Pepper and Tony are out tonight. I¡¯ll send her a text and ask to talk privately. We¡¯ll set something up for tomorrow and go from there.¡±

    There were nods and a general murmur of agreement. Steve, Bucky and Bruce stood and made to leave, but I held up a hand. ¡°Buck, stick around for a little bit?¡± He looked at me like a deer caught in oncoming headlights, but nodded and lowered himself back into the chair.

    Natasha took out her phone and looked over at me questioningly. ¡°Do you need the room?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just for a bit, if that¡¯s okay?¡±

    ¡°Sure thing.¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± I started as she stood up. ¡°Did you want to hang out tonight? It¡¯s getting late, we could grab something to eat, or¡­?

    Nat grinned, one eyebrow raised. ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll warn you in advance, though, I am intending on actually getting a good night¡¯s sleep tonight.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Once everyone else had filtered out of the room, leaving Bucky and I alone, I shot him a sympathetic look. ¡°How are you doing? Sorry again for putting you on the spot like that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said, a bit too abruptly for it to be completely true.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. I¡¯ve seen the future, remember? I know how much guilt you have over what the Winter Soldier did. I was serious when I said you needed to get therapy. If I don¡¯t hear that you¡¯re getting it yourself, I¡¯ll bundle you up and cart you there myself,¡± I threatened, a few wisps of red energy playing across my fingers.

    He snorted, a weak smile touching his face. ¡°You¡¯re a real pain in the ass, you know that? Worse than Steve.¡±

    ¡°I just want you to get well.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I get it. Fine.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I held up my hand expectantly, waiting for his nod of acknowledgement before I reached forward and touched his forehead, small wisps of red power connecting us as I checked over the enchantment binding the Winter Soldier and recharged the magical battery attached to it. ¡°Have you been having any problems?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. I mean¡­¡± he hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m still having nightmares. But that¡¯s it.¡±

    I ¡®hmm¡¯ed quietly, withdrawing my hand once I was finished my work. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking. You remember how I described your mental landscape?¡±

    ¡°The Facility, yeah.¡±

    ¡°After what I saw in Yelena¡¯s mind, I¡¯m starting to think that the environment itself might be the real issue¡ªthe Winter Soldier persona is a consequence of that, rather than the source of the problem,¡± I said, a slight frown creasing my forehead. ¡°Restraining the Winter Soldier persona was always just a band-aid fix. It¡¯s mitigating the symptoms but it¡¯s not actually solving the problem. I overcame the Red Room¡¯s control by guiding Yelena, helping her regain access to what had been blocked off. The Facility¡­ it¡¯s a maze, but it can¡¯t be all there is to your mind, right? You¡¯re trapped in it. Maybe what I need to do is get you out. Have you literally or metaphorically move on.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you think you can?¡±

    ¡°I mean, there¡¯s only way to find out. It¡¯s not going to solve everything¡ªyou¡¯re still going to need that therapy¡ªbut maybe we can get you past HYDRA¡¯s programming properly, at least. A permanent solution, instead of a band-aid.¡±

    He nodded slowly. ¡°Do it.¡±

    ¡°You want me to try right now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± He faltered a bit. ¡°Uh, if that¡¯s okay. Do you need the Mind Stone?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve mostly been using it as an amplifier¡ªI don¡¯t think I actually need it for something like this.¡±

    ¡°Okay. So you can try?¡±

    ¡°Did you want to go get Steve?¡±

    Bucky shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to burden him any more than I already have. He¡¯s got enough on his plate with Tony right now. You should be able to restrain me safely on your own, right?¡±

    ¡°You know Steve would be happy to be here for you, right? You don¡¯t have to do this stuff alone.¡±

    He set his jaw stubbornly. ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, men. Fine. Do you just want to do it here or should we find somewhere more comfortable for me to pin you down and have my way with you?¡± I asked, grinning impishly. ¡°Full disclosure, Nat and I are kind of dating now? Well, maybe not dating. We haven¡¯t put a label on it yet, but I¡¯m hopeful. I don¡¯t think she¡¯d mind, though.¡±

    ¡°Can we please be serious?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s not being serious?¡± I said, which he responded to with a flatter, even more unimpressed look. Smiling innocently, I wondered if he was still traumatised from having been forced to explain to Steve what I¡¯d meant at the party about ¡®visiting the Eiffel Tower¡¯.

    ¡°Wanda¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold still,¡± I instructed, tendrils of magic already wrapping around his body. I limited the power I was investing, strengthening the bonds by making them several overlapping layers rather than relying on single, powerful strands. Once I was satisfied, I tied off the power.

    I was getting better at this. I¡¯d been practicing when I¡¯d had the chance to do so over the past week. All else being equal, these bonds would last for almost a whole hour without any refreshing. If I created a secondary linked battery enchantment, they could maybe last a couple of days. I still couldn¡¯t really think of any actual useful use-case for them outside of ad-hoc stuff like this, seeing as handcuffs were cheaper and didn¡¯t require ongoing maintenance, but still. The big problem was that I had no idea how to reinforce them against magical interference. Kaecilius had disrupted my first attempt with what amounted to a wave of his hand. I still didn¡¯t understand how ¡®dispelling¡¯ magical effects worked¡ªnot beyond brute-force tearing them apart, at least¡ªso I had no insight into how to protect against it.

    ¡°Comfy?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s great.¡±

    ¡°Cool.¡±

    I pressed my palm flat against his forehead, summoning my power and delving deeply into his mind. Once more, I found myself in the maze of corridors that we were calling the Facility, which seemed to be an amalgam of the memories of several different bases that the Winter Soldier had been kept in over the years he¡¯d been in HYDRA¡¯s clutches.

    Twenty minutes later, I pulled out. Bucky looked at me hopefully, but I just frowned and shook my head, dismissing the bindings. ¡°I found your avatar, but no luck finding a way out of the Facility yet. I still think we¡¯re on the right track, but¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re still missing something,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Thanks, anyway.¡±

    I nodded and grinned at him. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re trying to undo, like, decades of mental conditioning. I¡¯d have been surprised if it was going to be easy. We¡¯ll get there, I promise.¡±

    --

    ¡°Okay, yeah, you were right. Colour me interested,¡± Natasha said as the credits rolled on the first episode, Netflix¡¯s little alert that it would start the next episode soon popping up on screen.

    ¡°Right?¡± I nabbed the remote and hit ¡®back¡¯ to stop the autoplay.

    We were curled up on her couch, a set of empty Chinese food takeaway containers on the coffee table in front of us. We had no idea where Yelena was¡ªshe hadn¡¯t been there when we¡¯d arrived and she hadn¡¯t texted Nat or anything to let her know when she¡¯d be back. Natasha wasn¡¯t worried; Yelena was an adult and could look after herself.

    ¡°So, all of the characters are, what, connected psychically or something?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I won¡¯t say much, don¡¯t want to spoil anything, but yeah.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a favourite?¡±

    ¡°Jeez, that¡¯s a hard question. Overall, maybe Sun? I always liked Nomi a lot, as well, we¡ª¡± I cut myself off, suddenly feeling very small and disconnected.

    ¡°Seeing as?¡± Nat prompted me gently.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I said, sitting up. Absently, I wrapped my arms around myself, rubbing at my upper arms as if I¡¯d suddenly felt a chill.

    Natasha reached over and touched my shoulder, pushing at it gently so I¡¯d turn and look at her. ¡°You can talk to me, you know,¡± she said softly. ¡°This isn¡¯t just a one-way street.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t really know who I am anymore. Things I used to feel a connection to¡ªor thought I did¡­ I don¡¯t know. It doesn¡¯t feel real anymore.¡±

    ¡°This is about what the Ancient One said about you?¡± she guessed.

    ¡°Not just about that. I¡­ okay, I know how this is going to sound, but I knew things that I shouldn¡¯t have been able to know.¡±

    Natasha grinned, sympathetic but obviously suppressing a chuckle. ¡°Oh, wow, you knew something you shouldn¡¯t? That seems so unlike you.¡±

    I smiled back, then sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just I have these memories. A whole life, growing up, everything. But it¡¯s distant. Disconnected. Almost¡­ like it happened to someone else, I guess? When I woke up, after the Mind Stone unlocked my magic, everything about Wanda was gone. As far as I knew, I was just¡­ someone else, trapped in a stranger¡¯s body. Only she wasn¡¯t a stranger, I knew her.¡±

    ¡°From your visions.¡±

    My mouth opened and I barely managed to stop myself. I very, very nearly just went ahead and told her the absolute truth about my ¡®visions¡¯. Instead, I swallowed the words, nodding and averting my eyes. ¡°¡­Yeah. For more than a year, that¡¯s what I thought. I tried using my magic to look inside myself to see if she was in here, too, but I never felt her. Never found any trace. But my body doesn¡¯t feel like someone else¡¯s. It just feels like mine. I don¡¯t think of myself by any other name, just¡­ I¡¯m Wanda. The name feels right, you know? Then it turns out the world¡¯s foremost expert on magic is surprised that I don¡¯t think I¡¯m Wanda because my soul¡ªthe most essential, inner part of me¡ªis also just¡­ Wanda.¡±

    Natasha¡¯s forehead creased, her expression sympathetic. ¡°It sounds confusing,¡± she said gently.

    ¡°After we left Kamar-taj, Pietro and I talked. He¡­ he couldn¡¯t accept it. Wouldn¡¯t accept it. There was yelling. Crying.¡± My face was growing hot again, the words both harder to say and somehow tumbling out faster than I could stop them. ¡°And then something happened. I said something in Sokovian, remembered something about our parents. See? I just called them our parents without thinking, just then. But I remembered some stuff that I really shouldn¡¯t have because that¡¯s part of Wanda, not me. It¡¯s not stuff I saw in my visions, or if it is I don¡¯t remember it. And now¡­ where does that leave me? Who am I?¡± I realised I was crying now, tears streaming down my face.

    Natasha swept me into a hug, wrapping her arms around me and pulling me in close. I leaned into her gratefully, burying my face in her shoulder while I took a few moments to compose myself. After a little while, she took hold of my shoulders and pushed me back slightly, so she could look me in the eye. ¡°Who do you feel like you are?¡±

    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t¡­ I just feel like me. Wanda.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s who you are,¡± she said firmly. Her hands moved from my shoulders to my cheeks, cradling my face. ¡°You¡¯re Wanda. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s true about your past. I don¡¯t know about these memories you have, or don¡¯t have. I didn¡¯t know pre-HYDRA Wanda, or whoever this other life was. The only Wanda I know is you¡ªthe one who¡¯s been doing her best this whole time, even when it was hard. That¡¯s who you are to me. That¡¯s my Wanda.¡±

    I opened my mouth again, but no words came out. God, I wanted to tell her that I loved her so badly. Which I knew was crazy¡ªit was way, way too soon for that. We¡¯d only just started seeing each other. We weren¡¯t even officially dating. We¡¯d just spent one night together. I didn¡¯t want to scare her off, or push her away, or mess this up in any way. ¡°Thank you,¡± I eventually settled on. Natasha leaned in, kissing me gently, then pulled me into another hug.

    Once I¡¯d managed to pull myself together a bit, we stood and cleaned up the takeaway containers. While Natasha was taking care of a few things in the kitchen, I went ahead and brushed my teeth using a spare toothbrush she¡¯d laid out for me, then headed to the bedroom.

    It was a warm night, so I just stripped off everything except for my underwear bottoms and sat on the bed, looking at my phone while Natasha caught up. I hadn¡¯t seen Pietro all day¡ªhe hadn¡¯t called or texted, either. It felt a bit weird, not having him around for an entire day, like a piece of myself was missing. I hesitated, then typed him a short message: Hey, hope everything¡¯s okay. See you tomorrow?

    I dropped the phone on top of the neat pile I¡¯d made of my clothes and lay back with a sigh. Nat walked in, eyeing me with a slight smile as she closed the door behind her. She stripped out of her clothes, matching my partial nudity, then turned off the light and crawled into bed beside me. ¡°Night,¡± she said, quietly.

    ¡°Night,¡± I replied, hesitating for a moment. ¡°Nat?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    I rolled onto my side, facing away from her. ¡°Cuddle me?¡±

    She chuckled. ¡°Sure.¡±

    We lay like that for a time, Natasha spooning me, snuggled close against me with one arm draped lightly across my waist, her hand resting gently on my stomach. I had just started to drift off to sleep when she flexed her fingers, slowly running them across my belly and up my side. I stirred, making a small contented noise in the back of my throat, and she shifted, lifting her head to bring her lips to the side of my neck.

    I made another, even more indecent noise as she kissed my skin, grazing it gently with her teeth and tongue as her hand crept higher to cup the swell of my breast. Reaching up, I lightly traced the back of her hand with a finger, red wisps of energy slipping around her wrist before gently pulling her backwards off me. In the darkness, I could just make out Nat¡¯s look of surprise as I rolled over to face her. With a gesture, my power took firm hold of her other hand as well, drawing them both upwards until her wrists were bound over her head, telekinetically pinned to the headboard. ¡°You,¡± I said, a mild reproach in my voice, ¡°told me you just wanted to get a good night¡¯s sleep tonight.¡±

    Natasha pouted playfully. ¡°Well, yeah, but¡­ we don¡¯t have anything on tomorrow until the afternoon. I wouldn¡¯t mind a nightcap.¡±

    With another gesture, wisps of red energy played across her bare skin, tracing her curves, and she inhaled sharply. ¡°You know,¡± I murmured huskily, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking that I could potentially have a lot of fun with this. I¡¯ve basically got access to unlimited ropes, handcuffs, straps, chains¡­ whatever toys and tools I could ever need. What do you think? I¡¯ve never really gotten into that sort of thing before, but I¡¯m starting to feel a little¡­ creative.¡±

    Nat¡¯s eyes had grown wider and rounder as I spoke, her breathing growing heavier. ¡°Express yourself, then,¡± she whispered.

 Chapter 28

    I picked up the last of the toasted triangles of my club sandwich and took a bite, savouring the flavours as I chewed. Placing the rest back down on my plate, I looked at it and nodded. ¡°This is a really good sandwich,¡± I announced, looking over at Pietro. ¡°How¡¯s your food?¡±

    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s fine,¡± he said, picking absently at what was on his plate.

    Pietro¡¯s response to my text last night have been fairly noncommittal, so¡ªonce Natasha and I had managed to drag ourselves out of bed¡ªI¡¯d suggested we catch up for a late lunch and maybe do some sightseeing. He¡¯d seemed unenthusiastic, but agreed anyway. We¡¯d met up at a small caf¨¦ sandwiched between a CVS and a Hawaiian poke place, two streets away from Avengers¡¯ Tower.

    ¡°So, I¡¯ve checked and there are Blue Man Group tickets still available for this evening¡¯s show,¡± I said, looking at him seriously. ¡°Can we go? I really, really think you¡¯ll like them.¡±

    Pietro grimaced. ¡°The music guys with the blue paint on their faces? I dunno, it doesn¡¯t seem¡ª¡±

    ¡°Please?¡± I wheedled, drawing the word out for almost two full seconds.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t prefer to go with someone else?¡± he said testily.

    ¡°Not at all. I want to go with you. Besides, Nat¡¯s probably already seen them before.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine, okay.¡± He heaved a sigh. ¡°I guess it might be fun.¡±

    I shot him a grateful smile. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°What did you get up to yesterday, anyway?¡± he asked with a bit of forced casualness, pushing the food around on his plate without much enthusiasm.

    ¡°Well, Jessica Jones came looking for me,¡± I said, a little smugly. ¡°Told you I hadn¡¯t scared her off completely. I just wish I could recall more about her situation¡­ that part of things is all so fuzzy. I told her what I remembered, then we went for a walk and I introduced her to Matt Murdock.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­¡± Pietro hesitated, thinking back to the conversation we¡¯d had back in Kathmandu when I¡¯d first started looking things up on the internet. Being on the run¡­ it felt like it was almost a lifetime ago. ¡°The blind guy. The Daredevil?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, glancing around. No one was paying us any attention, but I still didn¡¯t feel super comfortable discussing people¡¯s secret identities in public. ¡°No idea if they¡¯ll keep in contact, but they at least know each other now. I was actually planning on going and visiting Peter Parker tomorrow, if you wanted to come?¡±

    It hadn¡¯t been very difficult to track Peter down. I knew he went to the Midtown School of Science and Technology and, from there, it had been a pretty simple matter of watching the school like a creep until I spotted him and Ned leaving so I could follow them back to Peter¡¯s place. He was young and only just starting out his career as a vigilante. I thought it¡¯d be really good for his development if he got introduced to the Avengers right from the beginning, rather than leaving him to fend for himself.

    I hadn¡¯t actually broached the subject with anyone yet, but I kind of wanted to pitch a ¡®Young Avengers¡¯ style thing to the rest of the group¡ªa support program for youths with powers, to help lay the groundwork for future generations of heroes¡ªand Peter would be the ideal first candidate.

    ¡°The spider boy? Eh¡­ maybe.¡±

    My phone vibrated with a silent alert. As I pulled it out, Pietro sighed, his lips drawing together in a moue of annoyance. I ignored him¡ªthe message was from Natasha. You and Pietro around? Got something we need to talk about.

    I glanced back up for a moment, considering the semi-eaten food in front of us, before tapping out a brief reply. We can be. Lounge in 15?

    ¡°That your girlfriend?¡± Pietro asked reproachfully.

    ¡°She¡¯s not¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°Yes. Something¡¯s come up, looks like. She wants to see both of us.¡± My phone vibrated again as Natasha responded with a thumbs-up.

    ¡°Both of us? What something?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I shook my head, then gestured to our nearly-finished plates. ¡°We¡¯ll finish this up, then go meet her at the Tower, if that¡¯s okay?¡±

    ¡°Sure, whatever.¡± There was an exasperated edge to his tone. I took another bite of my food. ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t stay in the Tower again last night,¡± he said after a few moments.

    I blinked. ¡°Were you looking for me? You can just text me, you know.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to interrupt anything.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have. We watched some Netflix. You could have joined us.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, sure,¡± Pietro snorted derisively. ¡°That would have been fun.¡±

    ¡°Pietro¡­¡±

    ¡°Forget about it. Just eat. Don¡¯t want to keep your girlfriend waiting.¡±

    I sighed and we finished our lunch in tense silence. I really wasn¡¯t sure what to do about this. Pietro was obviously uncomfortable with my relationship with Natasha, but he refused to talk about it at all and it was mixed up with the whole problem he had with the Avengers in the first place, plus whatever was going on with me.

    It was funny¡ªthe entire time we¡¯d been together, despite each other being basically all we had, there¡¯d always been a gulf between us. I¡¯d never been able to talk openly with him before now, not completely¡­ I¡¯d been terrified that if he found out about my memories, he¡¯d abandon me and I¡¯d be alone. Now that the cat was out of the bag, he was still here, but somehow that distance between us seemed larger than ever and I just didn¡¯t know how to bridge it.

    Once we were done, we left the caf¨¦ and stepped discreetly into an alley to spin up a portal. I wasn¡¯t too worried about creating portals in public spaces, but I really didn¡¯t like how much attention it drew from rubberneckers. Stepping through the gateway to the Tower, I made my way over to one of the couches and sat down, pulling out my phone to double-check I hadn¡¯t missed any further messages.

    Pietro glanced around at the empty lounge as I dismissed the portal. ¡°No one¡¯s here?¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be long. I said fifteen minutes.¡±

    ¡°Okay, well, I need to take a leak,¡± he announced. ¡°Back in a sec.¡±

    The moment he started to walk away, however, Natasha¡¯s head appeared as she ascended the steps from the Quinjet level below us. He faltered a little, then resumed his unrushed pace, acknowledging her briefly with a nod as he walked past her toward the restrooms.

    Nat paused briefly, watching him leave, then walked over to me with a questioning look on her face. ¡°He¡¯ll be back in a minute,¡± I said, patting the couch cushion beside me.

    There must have been something in my tone of voice that tipped her off. ¡°Everything okay with you two?¡± she asked quietly, sitting down in the indicated spot and nudging me gently with her shoulder.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said with a frustrated sigh. Leaning into her, I tilted my head to rest it on her shoulder. ¡°Things are awkward. He¡¯s been avoiding me more and more. I don¡¯t really know what to do about it.¡±

    She nodded, putting her hand over mine comfortingly. ¡°I could try talking to him?¡± she ventured. ¡°It might be tricky, but he¡¯s feeling isolated. He doesn¡¯t have an external support network. There¡¯s not really anyone he can talk to about things except for you, which obviously isn¡¯t going to work. This sort of stuff is¡­ well. It¡¯s difficult to work through on your own. I should know.¡±

    I snorted, lifting my head from her shoulder so I could look at her. ¡°You are kind of one of the reasons he¡¯s annoyed with me at the moment. Do you really think he¡¯d talk to you?¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m pretty good at this stuff. Super spy, remember?¡± she said, a small smile lifting the corner of her mouth. ¡°If not me, I think he might open up to Steve or Bucky. He seems to get along pretty well with them. Between the three of us, I¡¯m sure we can sort something out.¡±

    I shrugged helplessly. ¡°Sure, if you think it¡¯ll help. I honestly don¡¯t have any better ideas.¡± I turned my hand over, threading our fingers together, then lifted her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles lightly. ¡°Thank you. I appreciate it.¡±

    We sat like that for a few minutes, quietly enjoying each other¡¯s company, before Pietro returned from the restroom. When he did, Natasha disentangled her hand from mine and stood up, turning to face the both of us. ¡°I won¡¯t keep you too long, just wanted to talk this through in person,¡± she said. ¡°Two things, first: Wakanda.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. I swear to God, Nat¡­¡±

    Natasha held up her hands in a gesture of mock surrender. ¡°Easy. We¡¯ve reached out about your situation and Wakanda are¡­ well. Let¡¯s just say they¡¯re not feeling particularly charitable.¡±

    Pietro snorted in amusement. ¡°How unexpected.¡±

    ¡°I was hoping maybe you had some extra information we might be able to use as a bargaining chip. You said you¡¯d tried to warn them about a guy trying to take the throne?¡±

    ¡°Erik Stevens,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°I already told them everything I knew about him. They won¡¯t want the Avengers interfering in that, it¡¯s the royal family¡¯s personal business.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing else?¡±

    Slumping forward, I rested my elbows on my knees, massaging my temples with my fingers as I thought about it. I¡¯d actually done a lot for Wakanda already, not that they would ever know or care, even beyond warning them of Killmonger. King T¡¯Chaka wouldn¡¯t be killed in a bombing, thanks to me. Prince T¡¯Challa wouldn¡¯t die of a degenerative disease, thanks to me. What else even was there? Wakanda Forever had them in conflict with Talokan and Namor, but that wasn¡¯t remotely relevant right now and might never be.

    After a while, I looked back up at Natasha and shook my head again. ¡°Sorry, I really can¡¯t think of anything.¡±

    She shot me a sympathetic look. ¡°Fair enough. We¡¯ll think of something.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°What was the other thing?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve had a request come through for a meeting with the Sokovian ambassador, for tomorrow. They¡¯ve specifically asked for you two to attend.¡±

    I pulled a face. ¡°Ugh, who organises these things for a Saturday?¡±

    ¡°Technically, you and Pietro are in the country illegally.¡± Natasha shrugged, glancing between the two of us. ¡°Homeland Security has been asking questions, but we¡¯ve got a good working relationship with them so that shouldn¡¯t be an issue. On the other side of things, though, Sokovia could complicate things with the UN a little if they start making complaints, especially given that Wakanda is already determined to be a problem. It¡¯d be a lot smoother if we just cooperate with the embassy and see what they want, head off any issues before they develop.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± I sighed. ¡°What time? I have things I wanted to do tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Three o¡¯clock.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that should be fine. I can be back for that, easy.¡± I glanced over at Pietro, my expression hopeful. ¡°Did you want to come along?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just going to go talk to that kid, right?¡± he asked, brow creased slightly. I nodded and he responded with a half-hearted, noncommittal shrug.

    Natasha perked up, as if she¡¯d suddenly had an idea. ¡°Actually, Pietro, if you¡¯re available tomorrow, how would you feel about joining a sparring session? Steve and Bucky have been slacking off lately and it might be fun to watch you knock them around for a bit,¡± she shot him one of her infectious, mischievous grins.

    He blinked, surprised by the request, a slight frown ghosting across his features. ¡°I dunno.¡±

    I smiled encouragingly. ¡°That sounds like it could be fun. You might have to slow yourself down and go easy on them, though¡ªI mean, they¡¯re only super soldiers, after all.¡± I wasn¡¯t great at the whole manipulation thing, but if there was one thing I knew Pietro liked to do, more than anything else, it was be a massive show off.

    He snorted, considering it for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Alright, fine. What time?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s say ten? That should give us enough time to work up a sweat, have lunch, and clean ourselves up for the meeting.¡±

    Pietro nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±

    Nat shot me an encouraging look and I inclined my head in a brief nod. I had no idea if they would be able to get through to Pietro, but it had to be worth a shot.

    --

    I tapped the access panel for the laboratory door. There was a negative beep, the LED trim around the panel flashing red for a moment. Frowning, I tapped at it again, slightly more forcefully.

    ¡°I¡¯m dreadfully sorry, Ms Maximoff, but you don¡¯t have authorisation to enter the lab unescorted.¡± The smooth, artificial voice filtered down from somewhere above me, almost seeming to come from everywhere at once.

    I looked up. There were panels of dark, smoked glass inset into the ceiling that I imagined hid whatever sensors JARVIS used to monitor the Tower, so I couldn¡¯t actually glare directly at whatever camera he was using to look at me. I addressed the empty air in front of me instead. ¡°Are you serious? I¡¯m not unescorted, JARVIS,¡± I said, pointing through the door to where Bruce sat facing away from me, poring over the readouts on a monitor, utterly oblivious to my presence through the soundproof glass barrier. ¡°Bruce is in there. He¡¯s literally right there.¡±

    ¡°Very serious, Ms Maximoff,¡± JARVIS said mildly. ¡°Dr Banner is currently working. Would you like me to request authorisation for your entry from him?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please,¡± I ground out.

    A moment later, inside the lab I saw Bruce tear his eyes away from the screen, perking up as he listened to JARVIS, then glance my way. He gave me a lopsided grin and said something, and a moment later the door slid open.

    ¡°Thanks, JARVIS,¡± Bruce said.

    I heaved an annoyed sigh as I picked my way through the room toward him. The workbenches here were covered in computers and scientific instruments, with several seeming to be dedicated assembly areas for Tony to tinker with small electronic engineering projects. ¡°Honestly,¡± I said as I came up beside him. ¡°I¡¯m getting a little bit fed up with this ¡®mother may I¡¯ crap every time I try to move around here.¡±

    Bruce¡¯s expression turned awkward and he shrugged apologetically. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologise¡ªcan¡¯t you do something about it?¡±

    He made a face. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t¡­ it¡¯s not my decision. You¡¯re still on probation.¡± He waved his hand in a scrubbing motion. ¡°Tony takes security pretty seriously.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but he knows I could just¡­ right?¡± I mimed spinning up a portal and Bruce flinched, the expression on his face getting even more awkward. I paused. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Retrieving my sling ring from my jacket pocket, I quickly spun up a small portal connecting the inside of the lab to just outside the door.

    Bruce slumped forward slightly in his chair as the lighting in the lab flicked over to a harsh red emergency glare and an alert started to beep. ¡°Unauthorised portal detected,¡± JARVIS¡¯s voice rang out above us. ¡°Ms Maximoff, dismiss your portal immediately.¡±

    I stared at Bruce as I dismissed the portal, eyes wide in disbelief, before tucking the ring back into my pocket.

    ¡°Thank you for your cooperation, Ms Maximoff. Please do not attempt to create further portals in secured areas.¡±

    Bruce scratched at the back of his neck nervously as he scrunched up his face. ¡°Yeah, Tony¡¯s got the whole Tower set up like that. I think just the lounge and your quarters are cleared for portals.¡±

    I took a deep breath. ¡°Are you freaking kidding me? He should at least tell me if he¡¯s doing stuff like that.¡±

    ¡°Like I said, he takes security seriously. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Stop saying sorry.¡±

    ¡°Sor¡ª¡± He paused when he saw my murderous expression, closing his mouth halfway through the word and just looking at me apologetically instead.

    I pressed the heel of my hand to my temple, closing my eyes and taking another breath. It was fine. I¡¯d talk to Natasha and Steve about it. The two of them together had to be enough to push past Tony¡¯s ego. ¡°Okay,¡± I said, opening my eyes again and glancing toward his readouts. ¡°How goes your research? Any gamma-related insights?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t already know?¡± he asked wryly.

    ¡°Nope,¡± I said, honestly.

    I stepped over to the containment chamber that the Mind Stone was currently resting in¡ªa tall vertical cylinder of reinforced glass, the bottom of which was magnetically locked to the workbench it rested on. The Stone was held in place on a thin robotic arm, with several other sensors and instruments on or around it, connecting to devices at the top and bottom of the tube. It glimmered slightly with golden energy and I placed my hand on the glass, tapping it with my fingernail.

    ¡°In the version of events I saw, you never really got a chance to examine one of the Infinity Stones properly, so I have no idea if you¡¯ll find anything,¡± I said, looking at the Stone. ¡°If I already knew, I¡¯d have told you. Speaking of¡­ there is something I did want to talk to you about.¡±

    He suddenly pushed away from me, rolling his chair backwards until it hit the desk. ¡°Oh. Oh, no.¡± I glanced over at him, puzzled, and he shook his head rapidly, looking alarmed. ¡°Not me. I¡¯m fine. No, thank you.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Bruce seemed to deflate, slumping forward in his chair slightly, his wrists resting on his knees as he restlessly flexed his fingers, his expression caught halfway between a grimace and an awkward smile. ¡°We have a little bit of a betting pool going on about who you¡¯re going to emotionally traumatise next.¡±

    I shot him an annoyed look. ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡±

    ¡°Nat won the last pool yesterday because of Tony. I put fifty dollars on Clint being next.¡±

    ¡°You guys suck,¡± I said, folding my arms and turning back to glare impotently at the Mind Stone.

    ¡°Are you, or are you not, planning on emotionally traumatising me?¡± he asked, eyeing me sceptically.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not trying to traumatise anyone deliberately,¡± I hedged.

    Bruce pointed at me with a finger, looking triumphant. ¡°Aha! See? I knew it. None of that for me, thanks,¡± he waved his hand again to ward me off. ¡°I have enough problems as it is, I don¡¯t need whatever it is you¡¯re going to dump on me.¡±

    ¡°Bruce¡­¡±

    ¡°Ugh. What?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being incredibly dramatic,¡± I said testily. ¡°I only want to tell you because I think it¡¯ll help you.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know,¡± he said, heaving a heavy sigh. Reaching up, he covered his face with his hands for a moment, pressing the heels of his palms over his eyes. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m ready. Hit me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay. So, I know you¡¯re not going to want to hear this, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, God. That was not a good start.¡± He winced. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind, I¡¯m not ready.¡±

    ¡°Are you seriously going to do this the entire time?¡±

    ¡°¡­No. Sorry, I just don¡¯t like being nervous.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Okay, so, the Hulk.¡± I paused to glare at Bruce when he pulled another face, but he gestured silently for me to continue. ¡°I don¡¯t know the specific details of how exactly it happened, but you eventually worked out how to handle it.¡±

    ¡°¡­I got rid of him?¡±

    ¡°Not quite. The Hulk isn¡¯t some separate thing living inside you, Bruce. You¡¯ve been treating the Hulk like he¡¯s some sort of disease, something to get rid of, but he¡¯s not. You¡¯re the same person, effectively, just split in two because of your trauma and anger issues.¡±

    Bruce shook his head slowly. ¡°No¡­ You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯m not him.¡±

    ¡°You are, though. I¡¯ve seen it. You successfully integrate the Hulk-Banner identities and are just¡­ you. The whole split personality, dual identities thing isn¡¯t a ¡®Hulk¡¯ thing, it¡¯s a Banner thing.¡±

    ¡°Nuh uh,¡± he said, shaking his head more vehemently, a bit of anger leaking into his tone. ¡°I was just Banner, perfectly fine, for years before I had that thing in me.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t fine, Bruce, and you know it. As for the Hulk¡­ well, there¡¯s also your cousin, Jen.¡±

    ¡°Jen?¡± he asked, his anger slightly derailed and replaced by confusion. ¡°What about her?¡±

    ¡°At one point, you¡¯re in a car accident with her and she gets infected with your blood, including what should be a lethal dose of gamma radiation. Thankfully, she¡¯s got the same rare combination of genetic factors that you have, so she survives and becomes a Hulk, too.¡±

    ¡°Jesus.¡± Bruce slumped forward, cradling his head in his hands.

    ¡°But she never gets an alter ego. She never needs to take the long, painful road to integration that you did. Honestly, you¡¯re a bit miffed by the whole thing.¡± I paused for a moment, then nudged his leg with my foot. ¡°Actually, speaking of¡­ would you, uh, mind introducing me to Jen? I mean, she¡¯s¡­ and I mean¡­¡± Bruce lifted his head enough to glare up at me. ¡°You¡¯re right, sorry, not appropriate right now. Sorry for asking.¡±

    ¡°Apology not accepted.¡±

    I exhaled sharply in frustration. ¡°Bruce, what I¡¯m trying to say is I might be able to fix you.¡±

    ¡°What, you want to go poking around in my head? Do you have any idea how dangerous that could be?¡±

    ¡°I do, but that doesn¡¯t mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you do,¡± he said. ¡°Bucky almost killed you¡ªwhat do you think will happen if you cross the wrong neuron and suddenly there¡¯s a pissed-off Hulk in your face? Nuh uh. Nope. Too risky. Worst idea I¡¯ve ever heard.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just stop.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay, fine. Have it your way. All I wanted to do was let you know that you can get through this. There is a way to just be Banner, but you need to acknowledge that the Hulk is a part of you and do the work to accept him back into yourself.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ okay.¡± He took a deep breath and let it out in a long, drawn-out sigh as he clenched his hands into fists and released them several times. ¡°Fine. You¡¯ve given me a lot to think about. Just¡­ that¡¯s enough for now. Please.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to do,¡± I said, trying to sound sympathetic. ¡°See? That wasn¡¯t that traumatising, was it?¡±

    Bruce glared at me again, jaw set, and pointed toward the door. ¡°Out.¡±

    --

    ¡°You¡¯re going to wear a hole in the floor,¡± Nat said mildly. She was sitting on one of the Lounge¡¯s couches, positioned in such a way to take advantage of the sightlines through the glass walls so that she had a bit of a view into the briefing room, where Pepper had just led Tony.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it,¡± Bruce said as he anxiously paced back and forth. ¡°I hate this.¡±

    In the end, they¡¯d decided to limit the number of people in the room. Pepper would be there as Tony¡¯s key support¡ªNatasha had already had a difficult conversation with her where she¡¯d laid everything out ahead of time. Steve would be the one to break the news and talk it through. Finally, after much debate, they¡¯d all agreed that it would be better for Bucky to be there so that Tony wouldn¡¯t feel like they were hiding him. Nat and Bruce would stay nearby, just in case, but they didn¡¯t want to crowd Tony when he was going to be at his most vulnerable.

    From where she was sitting, Nat could see that Tony was clearly on guard right from the start. They tried to get him to sit, but he refused. Pepper hovered at his left shoulder, not quite sure what to do with herself. Bucky was sitting at the far side of the table, looking small, while Steve walked over and spoke to Tony face-to-face, his expression gentle.

    Tony¡¯s face fell and Pepper stepped closer, trying to put her arm around his shoulder, but he shrugged it off, staring at Steve and Bucky. His mouth moved, but it was too fast and too far away for Nat to lipread properly. He took an angry step forward and Steve reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. He yelled something, face red, and tried to push Steve away, but the super soldier held firm.

    In the corner of her vision, she saw Bruce fidgeting, not sure what to do with his hands. ¡°Should we go up?¡± he asked, his voice laden with anxiety.

    Nat shook her head. ¡°Not yet.¡±

    Tony was really shouting now, trying to get past Steve to Bucky, but he just wasn¡¯t able to shift the other man. Pepper was crying, grabbing at his shoulder in a weak attempt to stop him. Suddenly, Tony pulled back and tried to take an actual swing at Steve. Steve took the hit on the jaw¡ªbarely flinching back¡ªthen pulled the other man into a hug, wrapping both his arms around Tony, holding him still even he continued to shout and struggle. Pepper darted in to join them, her mouth moving as she tried to talk to Tony, her arms closing around him as well. Nat held her breath. It could go either way from here.

    After several long seconds, Tony¡¯s body crumpled, slumping into Steve like a marionette with its strings cut. The super soldier shifted, bringing one arm up to hold the back of Tony¡¯s head while Pepper leant her forehead against his temple, her face red, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. Tony¡¯s shoulders heaved and shook as huge, wracking sobs tore through his body. Nat exhaled.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said softly, glancing at Bruce. ¡°Now we go up.¡±

 Chapter 29

    Natasha laughed¡ªa genuine, full-bodied chuckle¡ªas Bucky and Steve lay sprawled out across the sparring mats that lined the floor, groaning.

    They were in the Tower¡¯s main training area: an entire, two-storey floor set up as a fully-equipped gym that would put even the most exclusive membership clubs to shame. Half the floor was dedicated to various sets of exercise equipment, including a small rock-climbing wall and a full set of physio equipment to monitor and track performance over time. The corner they were currently in was a small arena that had been set up for hand-to-hand combat practice, with padded blue mats lining the floor to soften falls and an array of practice weapons and other training tools on a long rack against one wall.

    ¡°What?¡± said Pietro cheerfully, jogging lightly in a circle around the two super soldiers, clearly enjoying himself. ¡°You didn¡¯t see that coming? I thought maybe after the first five times¡­¡±

    Steve took a deep breath, centring himself for a moment before rolling back to his feet with a single, fluid motion. His eyes flicked over to Natasha, sitting perched on a folding chair set up on the sidelines. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you want to tap in, Romanov?¡± he called over to her.

    ¡°Oh, no. I am absolutely fine where I am, thanks,¡± she responded with an exaggeratedly sweet smile before nodding back toward Pietro. ¡°You may want to pay attention.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I am. Believe me,¡± Steve said, grinning as he turned back toward the younger man and settled into a loose, two-fisted combat stance. ¡°I could do this all day.¡± Bucky clambered to his feet next to him, the two of them facing off once again against the lone Maximoff.

    Almost two full hours of sparring flew by pretty quickly and, by the end of it, even Pietro was breathing hard and drenched in sweat. He was fast and could hit extremely hard if he got some speed up, but his technique was unmistakeably sloppy. HYDRA¡¯s training had obviously disregarded proper, disciplined hand-to-hand combat training in favour of pushing him to maximise his speed advantage. While that might have worked for them, given that what they really wanted out of him was a weapon to help take down the Avengers, it meant he made a lot of mistakes that the highly-trained super soldiers might have been able to exploit¡­ if they could ever lay an actual hand on him.

    However, Steve had pointed out that while he could definitely lean on his speed advantage to win most fights, if he ever came up against another ¡®speedster¡¯¡ªas Wanda had labelled Pietro¡ªhe¡¯d almost certainly struggle unless he learned to actually fight properly. Pietro was surprisingly receptive to Steve¡¯s lessons, though it probably helped that, if he got bored at any point, he could just take things up a notch and strut about smugly after beating his sparring partners into the ground.

    Once they finished up and had hit the showers, Natasha stepped up alongside Pietro as the four of them made their way back upstairs, heading for the kitchen. ¡°So, how was your first real Avengers training session?¡± she asked.

    Pietro snorted. ¡°Eh, you know, just had to pace myself so the old men could keep up.¡± He nodded at her, the corner of his mouth tugging upward. ¡°Yeah¡­ it was fun. Thank you.¡±

    Nat shot him a lopsided smile. ¡°I had a feeling you needed to let off some steam.¡±

    ¡°I guess¡­¡± he shrugged, his expression faltering slightly.

    ¡°How¡¯s Wanda doing?¡± she asked, casually.

    Pietro side-eyed her. ¡°You¡¯d know better than I would.¡±

    She just shook her head, looking back at him. ¡°Not really. You¡¯re her brother, after all. You guys went out and saw the Blue Man Group last night, right? What did you think?¡±

    ¡°It was¡­ something, all right.¡± He let out another amused snort. ¡°It was a lot different than I was expecting. I really wasn¡¯t expecting the ponchos.¡±

    They reached the kitchen and Steve stepped past, shooting the two of them an encouraging look as he did so. ¡°Lot of that going around, lately. Things being different than expected, I mean. Not the ponchos,¡± he said, making his way over to the fridge and starting to take a few things out.

    Nat nodded. ¡°True,¡± she said, directing Bucky and Pietro to a table off to the side while Steve got their lunch ready. ¡°I mean, you and your sister didn¡¯t turn out to be anything like what we expected.¡± She paused as they sat down, letting a moment of awkward silence do the work for her and coax out a response.

    ¡°¡­I guess I could say the same about the Avengers,¡± Pietro said after a second, a little reluctantly.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Nat tilted her head quizzically. ¡°How so?¡±

    Pietro exhaled in a long sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just¡­ Wanda wanted to work with you, but we¡¯d done so much just to get to the point where we could go after Stark, and it all just¡­¡± he gestured vaguely with a hand. ¡°And then we saved all those women. Your sister and the other Widows. It was good.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, by the way. I don¡¯t remember if I ever said that to you. You didn¡¯t need to help, but you did.¡±

    ¡°Wanda told me about what the Red Room did to them¡­ what it did to you,¡± he averted his eyes, jaw working as he tried to find the right words. ¡°I couldn¡¯t just let them keep going. If Tony Stark helped and I didn¡¯t, what would that make me?¡±

    ¡°You sound a lot like Wanda sometimes, you know?¡± Bucky said, chuckling slightly. ¡°That¡¯s basically the same thing she said to Steve about me. ¡®Who would I be if I refused to help, just because it might be a little dangerous?¡¯.¡±

    Pietro smiled at that. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s a good person.¡±

    ¡°So are you,¡± said Nat gently. ¡°You¡¯re just trying to do the right thing, right? Just like the rest of us.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    ¡°Wanda¡¯s been worried about you, you know.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± he looked around, obviously a little bit uncomfortable airing things out in the group setting, but not completely unwilling. ¡°Yeah. She always worries about me when she should be worrying about herself.¡±

    --

    Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the apartment door. After a moment, an attractive middle-aged woman with long, chestnut hair answered the door. A wedding band hung from a chain around her neck. ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Hi! You must be May Parker,¡± I said, smiling brightly. ¡°My name¡¯s Wanda Maximoff.¡±

    Her return smile was warm and genuine. ¡°Uh, hi! Nice to meet you, Wanda. How can I¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m from Stark Industries,¡± I lied, pulling out a small ID card that had been printed for me last week and holding it up for a few seconds, my forefinger hiding the word ¡®VISITOR¡¯ from view. ¡°I was actually wondering if Peter was around?¡±

    I tucked the card away before she could look at it too closely. The card was actually labelled with the Avengers logo, not Stark Industries, but I was gambling that May would assume that was basically the same thing so long as I just bulled ahead. I was wearing some smart casual business attire I¡¯d ¡®acquired¡¯ to help sell the lie, too¡ªnothing fancy, just a white blouse with a charcoal-grey pencil skirt and matching jacket, along with a pair of practical leather flats.

    She blinked in surprise. ¡°Oh! Yes, he is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I was just hoping to talk to him for maybe ten, fifteen minutes? Mr Stark is currently putting together a new scholarship program for gifted students¡ªit¡¯s called the September Foundation¡ªand we have a list of initial candidates that we¡¯re interviewing to potentially offer grants to.¡±

    ¡°Wow, okay. And you have your eye on Peter? That¡¯s amazing!¡± She grinned widely as she stepped back, opening the door wider. ¡°Please, come in.¡±

    The apartment was warmly furnished, with several large table lamps spread around the main living room on side tables and on a shelving unit. The furniture was mismatched, but in a deliberately aesthetic-seeming way, the pieces coming together thematically with complementary colours. Several framed pieces of art hung on the walls between wall sconces helping to further light up the space. The front door essentially led directly to the main living room and May led me through toward a dark grey corduroy couch flanked by two armchairs in different styles around a clutter-covered low wooden coffee table.

    I paused next to the couch and May smiled at me again. ¡°If you want to just wait a moment, I¡¯ll go get Peter.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing.¡±

    She disappeared down a hallway, leaving me to my own devices. I heaved a sigh as I glanced around the apartment, taking in the details just in case I ever wanted to portal directly here. I didn¡¯t really like lying to May, but I needed to talk to Peter privately and there were limited ways I could do that without stalking him until I could ambush him on the street, which seemed worse. The September Foundation was a decent enough cover¡­ It hadn¡¯t actually started giving out grants yet, but Tony had spoken about the upcoming program a couple of times so it should hold up pretty well to scrutiny if she did any poking around.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    After a few minutes, May returned with a pair of young teens in tow, both of them looking at me curiously: Peter Parker and his best friend, Ned Leeds. Peter was relatively skinny but handsome for his age, slightly baggy clothes concealing what I knew were wiry muscles. Ned was darker-skinned¡ªFilipino if I remembered correctly¡ªand round. Overweight, but not in a hugely unhealthy way.

    ¡°Peter, this is Wanda,¡± May introduced us, smoothing her skirt with her hands nervously. ¡°Oh, and this is Ned, Peter¡¯s friend.¡±

    I offered a hand and Peter shook it uncertainly. Ned stuck his hand out as well, a giant grin plastered across his face, and I smiled and shook it, too. ¡°Nice to meet the both of you.¡±

    ¡°Um, so May said you were here about a scholarship program?¡± Peter asked, sounding a little confused.

    ¡°Yep. I was hoping I could talk to you privately for ten minutes or so?¡± I flashed May an apologetic look. ¡°If that¡¯s okay? Sorry, we prefer to do the interviews one-on-one, we find we get better results.¡±

    An uncertain look creased May¡¯s forehead for a moment before vanishing. She nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine with me. Peter?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine. Um, we could go to my room?¡± He pointed back over his shoulder with his thumb.

    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡±

    Peter did an uncertain little half-step shuffle backwards, obviously nervous, before turning properly and heading back down the hall to his room, glancing back at me the whole way. I shot May another smile, bobbing my head in thanks as I moved past her and Ned to follow Peter.

    I looked around as I stepped inside the teen¡¯s bedroom. There was a dartboard on the wall behind the door and a couple of posters hung up. At the far end was a window, the plain white curtains hanging open to show a view of the streets below. Flanking it was a desk on one side and a bed on the other. The desk was piled high with clutter, an ancient macintosh of some description surrounded by salvaged electronics. I noted the access hatch in the ceiling, where I knew he would, at some stage, be hiding his makeshift costume. Was it up there right now? I wasn¡¯t sure.

    I closed the door firmly behind us and turned the deadbolt, locking it, then turned back to face him with a wicked grin on my face.

    Peter¡¯s eyes widened slightly with alarm. ¡°Why, uh, so what¡­ what made you think I was a good candidate for the grant?¡±

    ¡°I know your secret, Peter.¡±

    ¡°My uh, secret? I don¡¯t, I don¡¯t have any secrets. What do you mean? I don¡¯t know¡­ uh. No secrets here,¡± he said, stammering the whole time. ¡°What, uh, what do you mean?¡± He folded his arms, trying to look casual.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t need to be nervous,¡± I said, a bit more gently. ¡°I get that you¡¯ve been grappling with this by yourself for a while, but that¡¯s the reason I¡¯m here. So that you know you don¡¯t have to deal with it alone.¡±

    His face fell a bit. ¡°¡­You¡¯re, uh, you¡¯re not actually from Stark Industries¡­ are you?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Not exactly, no. I am currently working with Tony, though I¡¯m not an official part of the team just yet.¡± Raising my hand, I summoned wisps of red energy, letting them play across my fingers.

    Peter was mesmerised, nervousness momentarily forgotten, his eyes wide and round as he watched the display. ¡°You¡¯re with the Avengers?¡± he breathed.

    ¡°Like I said: not officially, not yet, but yes.¡± With a gesture, I sent threads of energy upward to give the access hatch in the ceiling a firm telekinetic push out of the way. I was rewarded by Peter¡¯s homemade costume dropping out, dangling from a strap. Peter snapped into motion almost immediately, practically diving past me to grab it and throw it into his open wardrobe in a panic, then turning and trying to block my view of it with his body.

    ¡°Uh, what are you, what do you want with me?¡± he asked nervously, leaning against the frame of the open wardrobe in what might possibly have been the absolute worst attempt as feigned casualness I¡¯d ever seen.

    ¡°Peter,¡± I said patiently. ¡°Can you just calm down for a second? I clearly know you¡¯re Spider-Man¡ªI even knew where you hide your costume¡ªand pretending you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about is not going to work, so can we just skip to the part where you hear me out?¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay,¡± he said quietly, his expression putting me in mind of a guilty puppy who¡¯d just been caught making a mess.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not here to get you in trouble. You¡¯re running around as a vigilante, so I get being worried, but I¡¯m definitely not a cop. I know things have been hard, between what happened with Uncle Ben and getting these powers. You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± I gestured toward the wall, pointing back toward the living room. ¡°You both have, and I get not wanting to burden May.¡±

    I saw Peter react when I mentioned his uncle, but he did his best to school his expression, swallowing his anxiety. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I just want to help. Firstly, I wanted to make sure you had someone you could talk to about this sort of thing. If you need help or advice about your powers, or just want to decompress and have someone you can talk to without being stressed about hiding anything, I¡¯m around.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± he nodded slowly. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s¡­ that might be nice?¡±

    ¡°Secondly, what I¡¯d really like to do is pitch to the other Avengers a sort of¡­ youth program. You¡¯re not the only young person with powers or, at least, you won¡¯t be. My plan would be to propose you as the first potential candidate as a future Avenger-in-training.¡±

    Peter inhaled sharply at that. ¡°Woah.¡±

    I wandered over to his desk as I continued talking, absently looking over the assortment of electronic parts he¡¯d gathered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get your hopes up. They might say no, though I don¡¯t think they will. But I wanted to talk to you first, because I didn¡¯t want to just go ahead and out you to the rest of the team¡ªI knew your identity, for uh, reasons, but I wanted you to have a say before I went ahead. If you¡¯re not interested, if you want to keep Spider-Man low profile, that¡¯s your choice to make and I wanted you to be able to make it without feeling pressured to say yes because it was Iron Man and Captain America asking.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious?¡± he asked, shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°This is just¡­ woah. I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±

    I glanced over and shot him a grin. ¡°I¡¯m serious. I want to get you the support you need to become a real hero.¡±

    Peter suddenly straightened up, a slightly confused expression on his face.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    He was cut off by a sudden cracking sound as the window next to me shattered. I flinched, hissing through my teeth as a sharp pain stabbed into my ribs just below and behind my armpit. A half-second too late, I realised that Peter¡¯s danger sense must have just gone off. My hand went to my back as I stumbled forward a few steps, closing around something and pulling it free. Peter and I exchanged a look, both of us staring for half a moment at the hypodermic tranquilizer round clutched in my hand.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I lunged forward, grabbing Peter and pressing us both against the wall behind his bed, out of the sightlines of the window.

    A second later, there was a tinkling of glass followed by a hiss and thunk as something hit the floor near the bed. Quickly glancing at Peter to make sure he was okay¡ªhe was fine, just bright red from suddenly being pinned between me and the wall¡ªI peeked around to see a rapidly expanding cloud of smoke or gas or whatever coming out of some kind of grenade.

    My throat constricted slightly and I found myself coughing, my eyes starting to sting and water, as I flicked my hand toward the grenade. A jolt of red telekinetic energy scooped it up and flung it straight back out the window, smashing through a bit more of the glass that was still stuck in the frame before tumbling down out of view.

    Almost simultaneously, there was a loud but muffled crunch from the living room, following by shouting voices and a fear-filled scream.

    ¡°May!¡± Peter yelled, eyes wide with panic.

    We both reacted at once, pulling away from the wall and going for the door. I stumbled a little, but turned the deadbolt with a gesture and burst of magic just as Peter grabbed the handle to wrench it open. This was bad. I needed to¡­ my thought process was halted as there was another tinkling of glass behind us and I ducked and spun, thrusting out a hand to stop another grenade dead in the air before it hit the ground. Just as I flicked my fingers to send it back the way it had come, it exploded in an overwhelming blast of light and sound.

    I clenched my eyes shut with a yelp of surprise and pain, jerking backward and bouncing off of Peter. Blinded and deafened, I groped around, grabbing at his shirt before it was wrenched from my grip. A second later, my hands found that the door had been flung open. As I staggered through into the hall, I fumbled in my pockets and pulled out my sling ring. Another stabbing pain bloomed in the dead centre of my back¡ªdid I just get fucking hit with another tranq?¡ªand I almost dropped the ring, fumbling to slip it on as I pulled myself past the doorframe and crashed into the hall, out of sight of the sniper. I was starting to feel a bit woozy.

    Cracking my eyes open, I peered blearily ahead. Black shapes resolved into men in body armour¡ªa SWAT team? HYDRA? I had no idea what was happening¡ªbrandishing assault rifles. I thrust out a hand, sending a bolt of energy smashing into one hard enough to knock him flat, even as I telekinetically wrestled his gun from his grasp with a sharp follow-up gesture. Two more levelled their weapons at me and I raised a hand to intercept the shots, but my power felt slippery, twisting in my grasp, and I didn¡¯t manage to call up a shield in time before another two tranquilizer rounds slammed into my stomach and ribs.

    I thrust both hand out toward them and screamed incoherently, sending a wave of magic down the hallway that scattered them like bowling pins, then nearly fell forward onto my face. Where was Peter? I caught myself on the wall and stumbled toward the living room. No way I was going to be able to focus enough to make a portal like this¡ªI could barely see straight. I struggled with my jacket, trying to pull out my phone. I almost felt drunk. My fingers weren¡¯t working right, and I could barely work it out of my pocket.

    As I stumbled into the living room, the phone came free of my jacket and immediately slipped out of my grasp, skittering across the floor and coming to rest near the feet of the room¡¯s other occupants.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t hurt her, please!¡± Peter begged, his hands held up with the palms facing out.

    In front of him, a large, black-and-white-armoured man with a face-concealing helmet had May on her knees, one hand firmly gripping her hair to keep her in place, the other with its bulky, nasty-looking hydraulic gauntlet currently pressed to the woman¡¯s temple. May¡¯s face was streaked with tears. ¡°Peter!¡± she sobbed.

    I blinked, trying to clear my vision, and noticed that the armour May¡¯s assailant was wearing wasn¡¯t actually black and white, it was black, with a skull and crossbones spraypainted in white across the helmet and chest. HYDRA. There was another man in body armour lying unmoving on the ground, a string of webbing still attached to his helmet. Ned was lying flat on the floor as well, his hands behind his head, looking terrified.

    ¡°Let her go,¡± I tried to say, but the words slurred badly¡ªI couldn¡¯t feel my tongue. I tried lifting a hand threateningly toward him. There was the pop of gunfire to my right and three dull thuds at my hip, shoulder, and bicep informed me that I¡¯d been hit by three more tranquilizer rounds. "Three darts is too much," I gurgled, the words smearing together in my mouth.

    My knees buckled for a moment before my legs collapsed out from under me, my vision growing dark around the edges. I couldn¡¯t think. I could hardly breathe. The last thing I saw was Peter, looking absolutely terrified as the black-armoured men pushed him to the ground and shot him full of tranquilizers.

 Chapter 30

    ¡°Rise and shine, my dear,¡± Strucker murmured as he eased the plunger of the syringe down.

    The drug took a handful of seconds to do its work. Wanda¡¯s eyes fluttered slightly, then a moment later she lurched her way back into consciousness with a plaintive groan. She went to try to sit up, quickly finding that she was bound to the sides of the gurney with thick leather restraints at her wrists and ankles. ¡°Huhhh¡­ wazzat,¡± she tried to speak, working her jaw.

    ¡°There she is.¡± He smiled and patted her hand, placing the empty syringe on the bench beside them.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± Wanda tested her restraints again, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. She looked around wildly, peering around the room with bleary eyes until they focused on him. She went to say something, then licked her lips to moisten them first. ¡°Ss¡­ Strucker?¡± she asked quizzically, her voice hoarse.

    ¡°Yes, my dear. It¡¯s me. You¡¯re disoriented. Don¡¯t fret¡ªit¡¯s to be expected, given the amount of drugs in your system.¡±

    Rumlow had reported that Wanda had been hit by half a dozen tranquiliser rounds before she¡¯d gone down, which made no sense; one might not have been enough, but two certainly should have been. Strucker suspected that the batch of rounds had been faulty. Still, he was nothing if not cautious, and he¡¯d almost doubled the usual amount of sedative that Dr List would have used to keep Wanda under control¡ªjust barely below the maximum safe dosage.

    Not for the first time, Strucker mourned the loss of his monocle. Back at his research base, it would have been integrated into a vast array of equipment, with direct links into medical monitors attached to Wanda and their other guest, so he could see detailed breakdowns their condition at a glance. Alas, it had been custom-made to his specifications and quite uniquely designed, so Hammer Industries had yet to facilitate a replacement.

    ¡°Are you certain it¡¯s safe to wake her?¡± Zemo asked, his tone sceptical. His compatriot had pulled on his head?covering purple mask in order to conceal his features and was currently peering through the eyeholes at their captive.

    They were in one of the experimental labs beneath Hammer Industries¡¯ headquarters, a sub-basement normally used for sensitive research and development, now taken over as a makeshift base of operations while they were in the city. It wasn¡¯t exactly designed to hold prisoners, but they were making do with some hospital supplies that their criminal associates had procured for them. Nearly a dozen guards¡ªa mix of Crossbones¡¯ HYDRA extremists and Zemo¡¯s EKO Scorpion operatives in unmarked fatigues¡ªwere close at hand, several keeping their weapons trained on Wanda and ready to hit her with further doses of tranquilisers at a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡°Perfectly,¡± Strucker said, his tone confident. ¡°The secondary sedative actively interferes with her ability to use her powers while keeping her relatively conscious. Dr List was quite thorough when he documented its effects. She¡¯ll be quite unable to do much of anything for another hour or so; we¡¯ll put her back under long before that.¡±

    Zemo inclined his head, sounding unenthused. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely convinced of the need. While I would have preferred her brother as well, it does not seem that that will be possible. The other Enhanced will be a fine consolation prize. We should take our leave of the city, and quickly.¡± He looked over at one of his men and gave him a hand signal. The soldier nodded, turning and moving toward the door with purpose.

    Strucker sighed. ¡°Patience, my friend. There are other concerns we must be apprised of.¡±

    Wanda¡¯s breathing was evening out a bit. Her head flopped bonelessly to the side, her eyes following his to the other man. She blinked rapidly, looking even more confused all of a sudden. ¡°Zemo?¡± she asked incredulously.

    His compatriot stilled. ¡°How do you know that name?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here,¡± she said, slurring the words slightly. Sighing, she laboriously turned her head back to look at Strucker. ¡°You know you two are¡­ you¡¯re fucked, right? Avengers¡¯re probably already on their way.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been missing for less than two hours; easily explicable given your usual movements over the last few days,¡± Zemo responded. ¡°We¡¯ll be gone long before they¡¯ve even noticed something is wrong.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been following me? I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. ¡°The bird?¡±

    Strucker blinked. ¡°Bird? No, a subdermal tracking chip. With all the time and resources we invested in your development, you didn¡¯t think we¡¯d make sure we had some way of keeping track of you?¡±

    Wanda was silent for a moment, then started to laugh. ¡°Fuck. Been so focused on magic¡¯n gamma radiation¡¯n all that¡­ big stuff. Didn¡¯t even think¡­¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s difficult with the sedative, but I¡¯ll ask you to focus, please, Wanda,¡± Strucker said, reaching over to retrieve another syringe. He held it up, examining the contents, flicking it and gently depressing the plunger to remove a small air bubble. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you this, and then you¡¯re going to answer some questions for me, okay?¡±

    Wanda tilted her head so she could watch as he administered the psychoactive cocktail, wincing slightly as he slid the needle into her arm. She licked her lips. ¡°That truth serum?¡±

    ¡°Essentially, yes.¡± Strucker said with a shrug¡ªit was a concoction he¡¯d become familiar with during his time at SHIELD that made recipients suggestive and highly responsive. Close enough to a truth serum for government work, at least.

    A look of disappointment flittered across her face. ¡°Aww.¡±

    Something about her tone made him pause. He looked at her curiously. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do the bit.¡±

    ¡°The¡­ bit?¡±

    Wanda rolled her eyes then paused, briefly going cross-eyed. ¡°Woah. Headspin. The bit. I say ¡®is that truth serum¡¯ and then you¡¯re like ¡®there¡¯s no such thing, that¡¯s nonsense from TV¡¯ and then¡­¡± Squinting, she tilted her head as if trying to recall something. ¡°The rest. The bit.¡±

    ¡°It is basically a truth serum.¡±

    She let her head flop backwards and let out a long, dissatisfied sigh. ¡°Ugh. Never mind.¡±

    ¡°Now, infiltrating the Avengers¡­ I¡¯m not sure how you gained their trust, but what was your plan?¡±

    ¡°Get railed by all the hot ones,¡± she sniggered, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. ¡°Still a work in progress.¡±

    ¡°You know what I mean, Wanda. You and your brother wanted to avenge your parents; kill Tony Stark. You had a plan, yes? What was it?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t wanna kill Tony. He¡¯s an asshat, but he¡¯s still a good guy. I wanted to get in good with them¡ªthey¡¯re the Avengers. Gonna need their help with all sorts of things, lots of threats that need to be dealt with. Like in the movies,¡± she rambled, the words slurring together a little. ¡°In the movies, stuff sucked sometimes. Even in the good ones, lots of people died.¡±

    ¡°Wanda, forget about the movies and focus, please.¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t get it. In the movies, there was¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wanda,¡± Strucker interrupted, his patience running thin. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t care about movies. Loki¡¯s sceptre¡ªit¡¯s being held in the Tower, correct?¡±

    Wanda shook her head, chuckling to herself. ¡°You would care, if you knew¡­ asking the wrong questions. No. The sceptre¡¯s gone. Destroyed. I broke it: pssshhhhh!¡± She made a weak imitation of a shattering sound with her lips. ¡°The Stone¡¯s there, though. Tony¡¯s got it locked up in his lab.¡±

    ¡°The Stone?¡±

    ¡°The Mind Stone. It¡¯s what made the sceptre work. The power of infinity¡­¡± Wanda harrumphed. ¡°Mine. Mind Stone. Mine stone. Mine-d Stone? Tony and Bruce keep making excuses to hold onto it.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about the Stone. What do you mean, ¡®the power of infinity¡¯?¡±

    ¡°One of six. They¡¯re the greatest power in the universe. Whole civilisations destroyed. Planets destroyed.¡± She paused for a moment, thinking. ¡°Tesseract was one too, but that¡¯s on Asgard now. Cube is just the housing, the real prize is inside. That¡¯s what Loki was after, what Thanos sent him to collect.¡±

    Strucker leaned in, his attention caught. ¡°The power the Tesseract could channel was immense. We knew that we were only scratching at the surface of the sceptre¡¯s power, but this Mind Stone¡ªyou¡¯re saying it¡¯s on a similar scale?¡±

    ¡°More powerful than a little man like you could ever dream of¡­¡± Wanda murmured, her eyelids beginning to droop.

    He straightened up, barely able to contain his excitement, and looked over at Zemo. ¡°I¡¯ve taken the liberty of preparing for a raid on Avengers Tower. I¡¯ll need to make some calls, but we can be on our way within the hour.¡±

    ¡°Are you insane?¡± The other man shook his head. ¡°We are not attacking the Avengers. We¡¯re leaving with our prizes.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t need to attack them. They¡¯ll be out chasing her,¡± he said with a smile as he gestured to Wanda¡¯s prone form. She seemed to have passed out¡ªa pity, but he¡¯d gotten what he needed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what scheme you¡¯ve concocted here, Strucker. Raiding the Tower is out of the question.¡±

    Strucker stood up, gesturing with a hand. Suddenly, the HYDRA troops snapped into motion, training their weapons on the Sokovian special forces, who immediately responded in kind. ¡°Very well, then it seems our partnership is at an end. Do not take me for an ungrateful man, Helmut. I have fulfilled my end of our understanding¡ªWanda and the other Enhanced are yours, delivered as promised. Take them and do what you will. Leave, if you must. But know that I have grander ambitions.¡± It was a gamble, but he felt confident that Zemo would not turn this into a firefight¡ªthe man had his prizes and wouldn¡¯t risk them for no reason.

    Zemo stared at him for a few moments, then raised both hands in a defensive gesture. ¡°¡­Fine. If you are truly so eager to dig your own grave, far be it for me to stop you.¡±

    --

    Natasha drummed her fingers on the table, frowningly slightly. Wanda was late¡ªshe¡¯d said she would be here for the pre-brief for the meeting with the Sokovian ambassador. Nat exchanged a look with Pietro. He looked concerned as well. For the umpteenth time, she reached over to where her phone lay on the table next to her and clicked the power button to illuminate the screen, checking to make sure she hadn¡¯t missed Wanda responding to her text messages.

    Tony sighed, irritation plainly written across his face. ¡°Someone really needs to talk to Wanda about punctuality.¡±

    That was about the longest sentence Natasha had heard him say all day, which was something. Tony was coping with the revelations about his parents¡¯ deaths about as well as could be expected. They¡¯d given him the chance to step out and let them cover today¡¯s talks, give him some time to himself, but he¡¯d refused. Bucky had made himself scarce¡ªNat wasn¡¯t sure where he was, but she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he stayed away from the Tower for a few days at the very least, just to give Tony the space he needed.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°Should we get started without her?¡± Maria asked.

    ¡°Give her five more minutes,¡± Steve said mildly, but his jaw was set. To be fair, the meeting was supposed to have started ten minutes ago and the twins were central to the whole issue with Sokovia, so everyone was feeling a little annoyed by Wanda¡¯s unexplained absence.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think¡ª¡±

    Whatever Pietro was about to say was cut off as Natasha¡¯s phone started vibrating, rattling on the table in the familiar three-pulse pattern that indicated that someone¡¯s duress alarm had been activated. She inhaled sharply, snatching it up and looking at the screen. Around the table, the rest of the team were also pulling out their own devices.

    Pietro also perked up, his own phone vibrating just like everyone else¡¯s, and he fumbled it as he pulled it out of his pocket. He glanced around at them in confusion before looking at his own screen.

    ¡°Wanda¡¯s activated her alarm?¡± Bruce said, rather unnecessarily¡ªthey were all looking at the same thing. Nat had already dialled Wanda¡¯s number. As it rang, a tight feeling rose in her chest. Silently, she willed Wanda to answer the phone. It could have just been a mistake; an accidental activation. Pick up. Pick up.

    ¡°GPS says she¡¯s in San Franscisco. What¡¯s she doing over there?¡± Tony asked with a frown. ¡°She tell anyone she was taking a quick trip to the other side of the country?¡±

    Pietro blinked, confused. ¡°What? No. That can¡¯t be right. She wasn¡¯t leaving New York. She was meeting up with a kid who¡¯s just gotten powers. It was just supposed to be a small thing.¡±

    Wanda¡¯s phone finally rang out and sent Nat to voicemail. She hung up, her heartrate picking up as she looked at Pietro. ¡°She¡¯s not picking up,¡± she said.

    ¡°If she was in trouble, couldn¡¯t she just portal back here?¡± Bruce asked.

    ¡°If she can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°We have to go,¡± Pietro said urgently, rising to his feet and gesturing toward the door. ¡°Something must have happened. She wouldn¡¯t raise the alarm unless she absolutely had to.¡±

    The Avengers exchanged glances around the table. ¡°What¡¯s the response, Cap?¡± Tony asked.

    Steve looked at Natasha, an unspoken query passing between them. She took a deep breath, reining in the anxiety that had risen in her chest, and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think Wanda would set off the alarm unless it was serious.¡±

    He nodded, setting his jaw. ¡°All hands on deck. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened, but Wanda¡¯s no pushover. If she¡¯s in trouble, we might need everybody. Maria, please give our apologies to the Sokovian ambassador and ask to reschedule.¡±

    With that, they were up and off, hurrying out of the briefing room and down the corridor, Steve stepping into the lab briefly to retrieve something before they all headed toward the Quinjet hangar. Tony broke off from the group as they arrived, the red and gold pieces of the Mark 43 Iron Man suit deploying from the service bay and assembling themselves on his body as he strode toward the open hangar door.

    The rest of them filed into the Quinjet. Steve moved to the pilot seat, Clint at the secondary console, and they immediately started running through the pre-flight procedure. The ramp lifted behind them and Natasha moved to the lockers on one side of the cargo space, quickly shrugging off her blouse and skirt to change them for a more practical combat suit. Bruce simply averted his eyes politely; it was nothing he hadn¡¯t seen dozens of times before.

    Pietro, though, she watched carefully out of the corner of her eye, worrying about how stressed he looked¡ªshe could have ducked under a bulkhead and behind something, to change more privately, but it was a calculated choice. Nat couldn¡¯t do much about her own anxiety about whatever had caused Wanda to raise the alarm, but she could try to disarm Pietro¡¯s a little at least. Some people were incredibly easy to fluster with some incidental partial-nudity, and it tended to short-circuit whatever else their brain was currently fixated on. Inadvertently getting an eyeful of Natasha might distract him a little bit from how worried he was.

    Pietro, however, had started to pace the length of the cargo space like a caged tiger, shoulders hunched and tense and his face twisted in a deep frown¡ªit didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d even noticed her get undressed. Natasha finished zipping herself up, strapped a Widow¡¯s Bite to her wrist, then stepped over toward him. Reaching out, she laid a hand on his arm to stop him. ¡°Hey, take a breath. It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll find her,¡± she said encouragingly. He bit his lip, brow furrowed as he looked at her, but nodded and did as she said, taking a deep breath.

    Nat carefully controlled her expression, projecting confidence and trying her best to conceal the fact that she felt exactly as apprehensive as he looked. The Quinjet was fast, but even at top speed it¡¯d still take an hour or so to get to San Francisco. Tony would speed ahead and get there twice as fast to scout out the situation before the rest of them arrived, but it was much, much too long.

    Whatever situation had caused Wanda to set off her alarm, Natasha couldn¡¯t imagine, but she doubted that she would hit the panic button for something she needed help with an hour later. Their world was dangerous. Whatever had happened, it was almost certainly already going to be over before they got there and they¡¯d arrive just in time to pick up the pieces. She swallowed hard, hoping she was wrong and that Wanda would be able to hold out long enough for help to arrive.

    --

    I jerked back into consciousness. My head was still foggy¡­ I could barely think and the whole room seemed to swim around me. I blinked repeatedly as I looked around, my eyes having trouble focusing. There was no sign of the two men who¡¯d been talking over me earlier. I¡¯d lost some time there¡ªone second Strucker had been doing an evil monologue at Zemo, the next they¡¯d vanished, and I had no idea how long had passed between the two moments. I was still in the same place, though, which I hoped meant it couldn¡¯t have been that long.

    Zemo¡­ What in the world was going on? I¡¯d thought Jessica Jones working with the Avengers had been the biggest break from expectations I¡¯d caused so far, but it seemed the universe was keen to show me up. Why was Zemo working with HYDRA? He thought HYDRA were losers. Not important right now. I had to get out.

    If I wasn¡¯t so sedated, my heart would have been racing at a million miles a minute. I was trapped. I¡¯d been so out of it when Strucker had woken me that the full gravity of my situation hadn¡¯t quite sunk in. HYDRA had captured me. HYDRA had captured Peter. They had drugs that would stop me from using my magic. If I didn¡¯t get out of here, quickly, they were going to put me in a little box and I might never be able to get out again.

    Fucking Strucker. I hadn¡¯t really given him a second thought after we¡¯d left the HYDRA research base. In the original timeline he had died shortly thereafter, murdered by Ultron, so I had discounted him as an issue entirely. When we¡¯d gone to Klaue, he¡¯d mentioned that Strucker would probably escape, but it just didn¡¯t even occur to me that it was something I should look into. Surely the Avengers would have been notified that he¡¯d escaped? Why had no one told me? We could have stopped this from happening.

    I looked around. I was in¡­ a room. Helpful. God, it was hard to focus. An electronics or science lab of some kind, judging from the equipment on the workbenches. The sleeve of my blouse was rolled up and there was a needle in my arm, medical tubing leading to an IV drip fastened in place on a little pole sticking out of the top of my gurney¡­ a hauntingly familiar sight. A pair of men in nondescript army-style fatigues, holding rifles, stood near a doorway with clear strips of PVC hanging from the frame. Across from me, I could see Peter lying unconscious on another gurney, similar to the one I was strapped to. Speaking of¡­ I tested the straps binding my wrists and feet¡ªthey seemed like the sort of thing a mental hospital might use to restrain uncooperative patients. Thick leather padded with cloth, secured with simple buckles. I wasn¡¯t a hundred percent sure, but I thought I might be able to snap them with my enhanced strength. Peter definitely could if he were awake; he was way stronger than me.

    I closed my eyes to try to focus, but that somehow made the tilting, spinning sensation worse. Changing tack, I concentrated on my breathing instead, trying desperately to take hold of my magic. I could sense it still, but it seemed far away and, when I reached for it, it slipped through my grasp like I was clutching at smoke. The sedative that I¡¯d been dosed with was familiar¡ªDr List had used it dozens of times before when securing me for tests. I¡¯d never been able to overcome it before, but maybe¡­ my metabolism was enhanced by the Heart-Shaped Herb, right? So that meant I should be able to get something like this out of my system faster. Recover from it quicker. Maybe.

    I gritted my teeth, straining to clutch at any fragment of power. After a moment, a mixture of frustration and elation flooded through me as I managed to secure a tiny dribble of chaos magic. There was no way I could fight with it; a shield would shatter instantly, and I¡¯m pretty sure I could punch harder than it would hit if I tried to blast someone. It wasn¡¯t enough. Heart-Shaped Herb or no, I wasn¡¯t bulletproof and I still didn¡¯t know where I was or how many goons I¡¯d have to fight my way through to get out of this place.

    There was a slapping sound as Zemo stepped back into the room, passing through the PVC strip doorway. He spoke briefly to the guards before moving further into the room to peer at me through the eyeholes of his textured purple mask. ¡°Ms Maximoff. §Ò§å§Õ§ß§Ñ §ã§Ú.¡± You¡¯re awake. He didn¡¯t sound pleased.

    ¡°Barely,¡± I muttered, not really registering the fact that he¡¯d spoken in Sokovian and I¡¯d understood him. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I could convince you to let us go?¡±

    He let out an amused snort as he cautiously approached the side of the gurney. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°That remains to be seen. I anticipated that Strucker would continue his foolish crusade against the Avengers¡ªmy only surprise was that he was willing to relinquish you without a fight and my contingencies were unnecessary. His doomed raid will serve nicely as cover while we return home. Now, not that it hasn¡¯t been a pleasure, Ms Maximoff, but you¡¯ll be sleeping through this next part.¡± Zemo said, reaching over to the drip to adjust my sedative¡¯s dosage.

    It was now or never. I struck, summoning every ounce of strength I had into throwing myself forward at him. The restraint holding my left hand snapped and I lunged toward his temple, sputtering, weak threads of chaos magic lancing into his mind. Simultaneously, the gurney spilled over. Ripping my left ankle from its restraint, I landed in a hopping stumble. I grabbed at the side railing with my still-bound hand and wrenched the bed up at a ninety-degree angle just in time for several tranquilizer rounds to thud into the thin mattress.

    I couldn¡¯t do much¡ªI was too weak, too fuzzy¡ªbut Zemo wasn¡¯t entirely driven by greed and lust for power like Strucker was. It was a risk, but I didn¡¯t have much else in the way of options. Instead of trying to manipulate Zemo¡¯s mind or thrust myself into his mental landscape, I grabbed hold and pulled, opening my own mind to him. It was¡­ unpleasant. Having someone else in my head felt intrusive beyond words. Regardless, I pushed my discomfort aside and concentrated on remembering. Zemo¡¯s awareness was pulled along for the ride, a disorienting presence impinging on my thoughts. I had no idea what it looked like from his end, but what I hoped for¡ªwhat I intended¡ªwas for him to see my memories. To understand them.

    Loki¡¯s sceptre, first held in the Hydra research base, then taken by Tony Stark. Tony and Bruce talking, observing the bright blue image of the mind inside the sceptre; a true, thinking AI. The birth of Ultron and death of JARVIS. The AI seizing control of the Iron Legion and attacking the Avengers in their Tower. Ultron¡¯s drones swarming over the streets of Novi Grad, the Sokovian capital city. The city itself rising high into the sky, lifted on a vast engine by the genocidal AI. The Avengers fighting to stop him, to evacuate as many civilians as possible. The city exploding, devastation raining down.

    Next, images of Zemo himself, sitting on a rock in the snow. His face stony, impassive¡ªthe face of a man who has done what he set out to do, but it has brought him no joy. He listens to a recorded message from his wife for the last time: ¡°He asked me again if you were going to be there. I said I wasn¡¯t sure. You should¡¯ve seen his little face. Just try, okay? I''m going to bed. I love you.¡± A gun is held loosely in his hand. He¡¯s speaking to someone, then suddenly he raises the weapon to his own chin¡ªto kill himself, to join his family in death¡ªonly to be stopped.

    Back to the beginning. Loki¡¯s sceptre in the Hydra research base once more, but this time, instead of Tony Stark, it was me taking the sceptre, deliberately breaking the chain of events. Finally, Thanos. An alien warlord, wearing the Infinity Gauntlet, snapping his fingers. Impossible destruction and chaos in his wake as half of all life in the universe was wiped out.

    Outside of my mind there was shouting. The two soldiers had moved and I pulled back, fumbling and falling flat on my ass with the gurney still acting as a makeshift shield against their shots. Zemo stared at me for a second before holding up a hand, barking a few quick orders in Sokovian, ¡°§±§à§Ó§å?§Ú §ã§Ö!¡± Stand down! he said, ¡°§¥§à§Ó§à?§ß§à.¡± Enough.

    The men stilled, their weapons still trained on me, and no one moved for a moment. I licked my lips. ¡°Zemo¡­ please.¡±

    Slowly, he reached up and removed his purple mask, apprehension written across his face as he revealed his features. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± he said quietly. He looked genuinely shaken by whatever he¡¯d just experienced. ¡°That felt¡­ real. But it couldn¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°It was. I saw it. I stopped it. Please. You have to let us go.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s more on the way. You saw it. Everyone¡¯s in danger. I have to stop it from happening. I¡¯m the only one who can. You have to let us go. Please.¡±

    His jaw worked furiously for a few moments, trying to reconcile what he¡¯d just seen and experienced with reality. Careful not to make any sudden movements, I slowly removed the needle from my arm as I watched him grapple with what I¡¯d shown him.

    After a few more seconds, Zemo tilted his head back and exhaled long and loud, his eyes closed. When he opened them again, he turned to his men. ¡°§ª§Õ§Ú §á§â§Ú§á§â§Ö§Þ§Ú §à§ã§ä§Ñ§Ý§Ö. §ª§Õ§Ö§Þ§à.¡± Go prepare the others. We¡¯re leaving.

    The two soldiers hesitated for a split-second, but thought better of second-guessing their leader. They lowered their weapons and hurried out of the room.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said quietly.

    Zemo didn¡¯t say anything. He just looked at me, an unreadable mess of emotions playing out across his face. I hesitated. I honestly hadn¡¯t been expecting it to shake him this much. At the very least, I¡¯d been expecting to need to explain myself and persuade him I¡¯d really seen the future but, strangely, he didn¡¯t seem like he needed convincing. I wish I knew what exactly he¡¯d experienced when I¡¯d tried to show him my memories.

    After a moment, he turned and walked out after his men, leaving Peter and I alone.

 Chapter 31

    Levering myself into a standing position, I undid the straps that were still attached to my right wrist and ankle, then hobbled toward Peter. I almost tripped over my own feet, steadying myself with both hands on his gurney before looking at him properly. He was completely unconscious, a large, ugly yellow bruise across the right side of his face and jaw. There was no sedative drip, so he hopefully wasn¡¯t going to be out of it in the same way I was if I managed to wake him.

    What was I going to say to him? God, I hoped Ned and May were still alive. Would HYDRA have killed them, to eliminate the witnesses? I honestly didn¡¯t know and I couldn¡¯t really stomach thinking about it. If I¡¯d gotten them killed¡­ I shook my head to clear it and immediately regretted it, the room spinning around me in a way that made me feel viscerally nauseous.

    After taking a few seconds to breathe, I raised my head. I really, really didn¡¯t want to have to carry Peter out of here. Sitting on a folding chair next to his gurney were some odd-looking contraptions that I was pretty sure were his web shooters, but there was no sign of any of my stuff¡ªmy jacket must have been removed at some point to get better access to my arms, and I remembered dropping my phone on the floor of Peter¡¯s apartment, so it was probably still there. There was ice in my veins as I realised that my sling ring was nowhere to be seen. I¡¯d had it on when I¡¯d passed out¡­ had it slipped off my hand? Losing it would be utterly devastating.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± I swore, pressing the heels of my palms against my eyes for a moment before looking around the room again.

    A nearby workbench was cluttered with a small, disorganised collection of medical equipment, including labelled syringes. I picked them up, one at a time, squinting at the words, my vision still swimming. I didn¡¯t know if the sedative that was impairing my magic even had a reversal agent¡ªDr List had always just let it run its course and wear off naturally. However, assuming that Peter had been put under the same way I had been, I did know what the reversal agent was for that and I should be able to get him back on his feet. It was an assumption, and one that could potentially prove dangerous for him if I got it wrong, but I really wasn¡¯t seeing a lot of other options.

    Finding the syringe I was looking for, I uncapped the needle, took a deep breath to steady myself again, then administered it to the unconscious teenager. The next handful of seconds crawled by, feeling like the longest of my life, until Peter twitched slightly, eyes working behind his closed eyelids.

    ¡°Peter?¡±

    A few moments later, his eyes fluttered as he slowly started to regain consciousness. All of a sudden, his body tensed and he sat up with a sharp intake of breath, eyes flying open. There was a moment where the restraints at his wrists held him¡ªhe glanced toward them uncomprehendingly for the barest second before snapping them with casual ease, looking around wildly. ¡°May?!¡± His eyes focused on me. ¡°Where¡¯s May? Is she okay?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡ª¡± I stopped as Peter reached down and ripped off the restraints on his ankles, barely slowing down as he hopped off the gurney and promptly almost fell over. I caught him and he leaned heavily on my shoulder, his legs still wobbly. ¡°Woah, easy. Peter, stop, breathe for a second.¡±

    He obliged, but I wasn¡¯t sure if it was intentional or just because he could barely get his feet underneath him. ¡°Where are we?¡±

    ¡°No idea. HYDRA captured us, but they¡¯re gone now. Hard to explain.¡±

    ¡°HYDRA?!¡±

    ¡°Can we just¡­¡± I sagged under his weight¡ªhe wasn¡¯t heavy, and if I wasn¡¯t sedated, I¡¯d have had a pretty easy time manhandling him, but as it was my balance was already off and he wasn¡¯t helping. I managed to extricate myself from under him and got him to perch back on the edge of his gurney. ¡°Okay. Give it a sec. It¡¯ll take minute or two before you can walk properly, at least.¡±

    ¡°I need to make sure May¡¯s okay.¡± His tone was laced with fear and anxiety. ¡°They¡­ he¡­ the guy with the skull. He had her.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll find her. I¡¯m sure¡­ I¡¯m sure she¡¯s fine,¡± I lied, my voice slightly shaky. I¡¯m not sure I sounded very convincing. It didn¡¯t look like May was here, so there was probably nothing we could do¡ªit had been hours since the attack, so either she was okay and would continue to be okay, or she was already¡­ ¡°Listen, we need to get to Avengers Tower. I don¡¯t know what HYDRA is planning, but we have to warn them.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I have to find May. Oh, God. Ned. He was there, too.¡±

    ¡°We will. The Avengers will help, I promise.¡±

    I really, really hoped we were still in New York and not an hour outside the city or anything like that. I didn¡¯t think there was any conceivable way that Strucker could get past the Avengers, but he had said something about them being busy chasing after me, which had me worried. He clearly had some kind of plan, so the quicker we got to the Tower, the quicker we could warn the others and we could go from there. I really, really wasn¡¯t happy that I couldn¡¯t find my sling ring, but with any luck it might just still be in Peter¡¯s apartment. We¡¯d go and coordinate with the Avengers and Strucker would never get a chance to leave the city. Zemo¡­ well, he¡¯d let us go, so I wasn¡¯t inclined to pursue him.

    ¡°Here,¡± I said, scooping up his web shooters. ¡°We should move quickly when you¡¯re ready.¡±

    Peter stared at the bundle for a moment before accepting it, looking around. ¡°If someone sees me¡­¡±

    I grabbed the gurney I¡¯d been lying on, standing it upright again, then struggled for a few seconds to pull the sheet off it. ¡°Here, we can¡­ I don¡¯t know. Rip it, wrap it around your head. It should be fine, right?¡±

    He looked unenthusiastic, but nodded and set about fashioning a makeshift head-covering. A few minutes later, his face was hidden and we started making our way out. He was recovering a lot better than me, as expected; not labouring against the effects of a sedative the way I was. My legs were wobbly as I shuffled slowly along and even being careful there were a few times where I lost my balance mid-step and had to catch myself against Peter or the wall.

    The building seemed empty. We were clearly in some sort of basement level and it was only a short walk to an elevator up. Inside, the only button that would work without a keycard pass was the carpark level, so that¡¯s where we went. The carpark was deserted¡ªthere was a security guard booth, but it was empty. Peter broke the lock on a side door and we found ourselves coming out onto a city street.

    ¡°Where the fuck are we?¡± I muttered, squinting in the afternoon sun. The building we were standing outside of was helpfully labelled with ¡®Hammer Industries¡¯ in large silver lettering, so that was at least a partial answer.

    Peter took a few steps out, his head on a swivel. ¡°I think we¡¯re still in Queens.¡± He looked back at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve gotta go find May¡­ I need to make sure she¡¯s okay.¡±

    As he turned and raised a hand to fire his web shooter, I crashed into his back. ¡°Wait!¡± I blurted out. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ you can¡¯t just leave me here. Okay, if it¡¯s not far, let¡¯s check on May, but then we really do have to get to Avengers Tower. It¡¯s important.¡± Stepping inside his personal space, I reached over and pulled myself in close to him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and neck.

    He blinked, flinching slightly at the sudden closeness. ¡°You¡­ want me to carry you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never really carried anyone while I¡¯m swinging around before. I don¡¯t know if¡­ I¡¯m still a bit woozy.¡±

    ¡°So am I, but we¡¯re in a bit of a rush and I don¡¯t exactly have taxi fare.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked, hesitating. A little bit of colour had risen in his cheeks. ¡°You can barely walk straight. It¡¯s a bit¡­ you might pass out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s fine. Pietro carries me all the time, I¡¯m used to it.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Pietro?¡±

    ¡°My brother¡ªlook, I know what I¡¯m talking about, we¡¯re just wasting time.¡± I tucked myself into his body, pressing against him to making myself as small as possible. Gingerly, he put one arm around my waist and swallowed nervously. A second later, we were in the air and I realised that I had made a terrible mistake.

    I¡¯d been carried by Pietro countless times before. The initial acceleration was a bitch and it always felt like my organs were trying to migrate to one side of my body, but I was pretty well adjusted to it by now and I figured that Spider?Man swung around slower than Pietro moved so it¡¯d be fine.Stolen story; please report.

    It was not fine.

    It was very not fine.

    It might have just been the sedatives. I knew if I was dizzy or whatever, Pietro carrying me around made me nauseous, after all. But this felt completely different to being accelerated by a speedster. Pendulum swings that made my stomach do flipflops interspersed with periods of weightlessness, harsh decelerations when he landed, far too sudden changes in direction and velocity¡­ it took everything I had just to hang on and not throw up.

    When we landed on top of his apartment building, I couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. I took half a shaky step away from him and collapsed onto my hands and knees, retching violently as I splattered the contents of my stomach across the roof.

    ¡°Are¡­ are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Wow, I really had no idea what I was talking about, did I?¡± I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, chuckling deliriously to myself.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to¡ª¡±

    I waved him off. ¡°You go ahead, give me a second.¡±

    He nodded and jumped back off the side of the building, hitting the edge of the roof with a web to swing himself down to his bedroom window. I started to try to clamber back to my feet, but it was too much effort so I gave up and flopped backwards, lying flat on the roof and squinting up into the cloud-filled sky. My head was still spinning¡ªthe web slinging had not helped with that at all.

    After a minute, I laboriously pulled myself back to my feet and walked slowly and carefully over to the roof access door. It had been wedged open with half a brick, so I headed down the steps toward Peter¡¯s apartment. Going down the stairs was a challenge and I stumbled a couple of times, leaning heavily on the railing to avoid falling. Breaking my neck falling down some random stairs after escaping from HYDRA would have been a pretty embarrassing way to die. There was police crime scene tape blocking the entrance to Peter and May¡¯s apartment, the door hanging wide open, the lock and handle smashed in. I heard Peter¡¯s voice inside.

    I tried to duck through the tape, my foot catching on some of it and almost making me faceplant as I landed heavily on the other side.

    ¡°Yeah, I told you, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just¡­ I was so worried about you,¡± Peter said, watching my arrival with his brow furrowed he had a phone to his ear. ¡°Look, I gotta¡­ I gotta go. No, I know, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s¡­ something¡¯s come up and I¡¯ll explain it all to you later, but someone needs my help. I¡¯ll see you soon, okay? Love you.¡±

    He hung up the phone as I straightened up, then offered it to me. I stared at it, uncomprehendingly. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­ you wanted to warn the Avengers?¡±

    I grimaced. ¡°I don¡¯t know any numbers, they¡¯re all in my phone.¡± Saying that, I looked around, hoping against hope that my sling ring or my phone would just be lying around on the floor somewhere. Knowing my luck, they were both probably inside a police station¡¯s evidence locker. The apartment looked like a bomb had gone off in it. Holes in the walls, furniture ruined and strewn about. ¡°May¡­ she¡¯s okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She sounds¡­ she sounded scared, but she¡¯s okay. She¡¯s staying with a friend. Ned¡¯s okay, too. He¡¯s home with his lola.¡±

    I let out a long sigh of relief, my fuzzy mind racing. I was so worried that they might have killed them. Why would they leave witnesses alive? Unless¡­ witnesses placing Crossbones at the scene would tie it directly to HYDRA. Had that been Zemo¡¯s plan? He¡¯d said he¡¯d anticipated Strucker¡¯s actions, so was that what this was? A smokescreen pointing to easily-disavowed assets, giving the Sokovian officer cover for his operation? I had no idea, it was just speculation. All I could do was be thankful that they were alive.

    If anything, my little web-slinging experience had made my head worse than before, but it wasn¡¯t like I had a lot of options if I wanted to get to the Tower quickly. Making an exasperated noise in the back of my throat, I turned to Peter. ¡°Go get your costume on. I need you to get me to Avengers Tower as fast as you can.¡±

    --

    Strucker watched, a frisson of excitement and anxiety building in his chest, as Rumlow and his men did final checks on their weapons and other tactical gear. He wasn¡¯t normally a ¡®lead from the front¡¯ type of commander¡ªhis preference was usually to be overseeing operations from a safe vantage point¡ªbut that wasn¡¯t a particularly viable option here and he had to admit that it was rather thrilling, being in the thick of it.

    His forces were divided between two unmarked civilian delivery vans as they made their way through the city streets toward Avengers Tower: four HYDRA troopers with Rumlow and Strucker in the back of one, eight crammed into the other, rounded out by the two plainclothes drivers.

    They were expecting some resistance. Regardless of the Avengers¡¯ presence, Stark¡¯s Iron Legion protocol would no doubt defend the Tower in their absence. Beyond that, while their observers had visual confirmation that Iron Man and the Quinjet had departed, there was no way to tell if any of the hero team remained in the Tower. If they hadn¡¯t been able to determine Tony Stark¡¯s whereabouts, he may have called off the mission entirely¡ªwith Thor off-world, Stark and Banner were the two biggest concerns. They¡¯d prepared a Hammer tech sonic countermeasure to use as a lure to draw the Hulk away if Banner happened to be there, but Stark was a much more difficult opponent to deal with.

    Zemo hadn¡¯t been entirely wrong when he¡¯d dismissed a raid on the Tower as being too dangerous. It was a calculated risk with a pricelessly valuable reward. This Mind Stone, the source of the sceptre¡¯s power¡­ it must have been used in the creation of the AI model in the sceptre that he¡¯d been building towards. While he would need to find a new location¡ªone where the Avengers could not easily locate him¡ªwith the Stone in hand he could restart his AI development. Stark may have had the technological advantage over them for now, but a loyal HYDRA intelligence as advanced as the one in the sceptre had been would turn the tables quite neatly.

    Strucker¡¯s phone vibrated and he checked the message he¡¯d just received. Their secondary observation post had just confirmed that the Avengers¡¯ course was consistent with their destination being San Francisco. Strucker smiled to himself, relieved that his plan appeared to be working. He caught Rumlow¡¯s attention with a curt gesture and then nodded to confirm that everything was on track.

    He¡¯d been planning this for a little while, waiting for an opportunity to get the Avengers out of the Tower, and what Wanda had dropped in his lap had been like a gift from heaven. Hammer Industries had specialised decryption software that had let them crack her phone¡ªStrucker had gone in hoping to find actionable intel in her messages, but instead found a built-in duress alarm that was quickly integrated as the lynchpin of his scheme. A quick call and secure transfer of data to a Hammer Industries location in San Francisco and they were able to spoof the signal, making it seem as though Wanda had activated her alarm from the other side of the country.

    Fifteen minutes, in and out, while the Avengers chased their tails. Twenty at most. They had Hammer tech that would prevent any outgoing communications from the Tower for a time, but their margins were wide enough that they should be able to retrieve the Stone and successfully exfiltrate the building even if that failed and the Avengers immediately turned around to come back.

    The van slowed and Strucker leaned toward the front, peeking through the cloth divider to see that they had arrived at their destination. The roller doors of the rear loading dock of Avengers Tower were firmly shut, but Strucker¡¯s other hires were already taking care of it¡ªa pair of men in red tracksuits, bald and bearded, tipped their heads in acknowledgement as the vans approached. One retrieved a card from his pocket and held it against the entrance¡¯s card reader. A moment later, the roller doors started to retract, granting the vans access to the dock proper.

    The plainclothes HYDRA trooper behind the wheel retrieved a thick envelope of cash from the seat next to him as the Tracksuit Mafia members approached the side of the van. He lowered the window and tossed the payment to them¡ªit was tucked away inside one¡¯s jacket and the criminals grinned before wandering off casually, their part in the plan done.

    Rumlow looked around at the rest of the men as they drove inside the building, a grimly determined expression on his scarred face. ¡°Alright, guys. Nice and easy, like we talked about. In and out.¡± He nodded at Strucker before sliding his skull-painted helmet onto his head. The door on the side of the van was opened and Strucker waited as the others rushed out to secure the area, sitting patiently for a minute until he heard Rumlow call that it was clear.

    Carefully, he stepped out of the van, watching as the troopers did their work. No instructions were needed, they were all already clear on their roles. One thing that Strucker had to give Rumlow credit for was the team he¡¯d built¡ªthese were not mere replaceable mooks, but hand-picked from among the finest that HYDRA had to offer. To a man, they were all seasoned SHIELD veterans, and some of the most professional and experienced operators he¡¯d had the pleasure of working with.

    One trooper stood at the ready, waiting for him, and turned to allow him easy access to the large, bulky device he was wearing as a backpack. Strucker flipped a few switches on it, then pulled his cell phone from his pocket briefly and watched the service bars almost immediately vanish. The military signal jammer would knock out any wireless communications in an area large enough to almost cover an entire city block. With luck, it would also interfere with the deployment of the Iron Legion. It would be noticed¡ªit was hardly a subtle measure, after all¡ªbut not by anyone in a position to do anything about HYDRA before they managed to escape with their prize.

    Briefly nodding to the trooper, Strucker continued toward the elevators, where Rumlow was standing vigilant over another of his men who had already levered off the access panel and was connecting a device to the internal wiring. A second later, a light on the tool flicked from blue to green. ¡°Sir,¡± the trooper said as he approached, retrieving a rugged computer tablet from his pack and handing it to Strucker.

    He took a quick moment to scan the screen before a few quick taps at it enacted the next stage of his plan. Hammer Industries had been developing a nasty little worm on contract for the US military, designed to disrupt and seize control of local systems, which had just been delivered successfully into the Tower¡¯s network. Stark¡¯s pet program had almost immediately locked down most systems in response to the intrusion, but, before it had, they¡¯d managed to secure what they needed¡ªall external communications and data connections were currently offline, right down to the phone lines.

    Strucker tapped at the screen again, summoning the large elevator that connected directly to the Avengers¡¯ main floors near the top of the Tower. Stark¡¯s program was fighting back, but the military worm had been designed specifically to stymie attempts to bypass it and regain access to systems. HYDRA would lose control eventually, of course¡ªStark¡¯s systems were far too robust for it to be otherwise, but his intent was to be long gone before that happened.

    The elevator doors opened and he strode in, followed quickly by Rumlow and ten of the twelve HYDRA troopers, two remaining behind to ensure that the loading dock remained accessible. Strucker let a smile spread across his face as the doors closed and they started to move upwards. Soon the Mind Stone would be within his grasp.

 Chapter 32

    My stomach leapt into my throat and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to scream or vomit again as Peter and I soared upwards. The final swing to get the height we needed seemed even more brutal than the ones before it. There was a jarring sensation as we arrived, landing on the Quinjet landing pad that jutted out from near the top of Avengers Tower. The second that my feet found purchase on the metal platform, I quickly disentangled myself from Peter and took a step away from him. Leaning forward, I rested my hands on my knees and took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm my roiling stomach.

    ¡°Are you okay¡­?¡± Peter asked, a touch of genuine concern in his tone.

    ¡°Yep, just¡­ just give me a sec.¡± My head was spinning and I still felt a bit out of it from the sedative but, after a few moments, I successfully swallowed my nausea and straightened up. Glancing over at the costumed teen, I shot him a slightly forced smile and thumbs-up. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go introduce you to the Avengers.¡±

    Legs still wobbly, I walked down the short runway, Peter hesitantly following a couple of steps behind. The hangar was unexpectedly vacant. As we passed through, moving directly under the Tower lounge and toward the glass double-doors that led to the interior, I briefly wondered who had taken the Quinjet and where they¡¯d headed off to. The doors slid open as we reached them and we stepped inside.

    Immediately, JARVIS¡¯s familiar synthesised voice came from somewhere above us. ¡°Your timing is impeccable, Ms Maximoff. We have an intrusion in the Tower and I have been unable to raise Mr Stark or the other Avengers¡ªall external communication systems are currently offline.¡±

    I picked up my pace, heading through to the stairs leading up to the main lounge area. ¡°What? Where is everybody?¡± I asked, trying not to let my concern leak into my voice. ¡°I thought there were meetings on this afternoon?¡±

    ¡°Your phone¡¯s duress alarm was activated approximately forty-one minutes ago. The signal indicated a location in San Francisco¡¯s South of Market. The Avengers are currently en route to mount a response.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not here?¡± Peter asked.

    I glanced back at him, my forehead creased slightly in confusion. ¡°My duress alarm? What are you¡­ oh. Fucking Strucker.¡±

    ¡°My apologies, Ms Maximoff, but the intruders will be arriving on the lounge level via the elevator in approximately ten seconds. I am deploying the Iron Legion now.¡±

    ¡°Ah, fuck,¡± I steadied myself with a hand on the railing as I started to jog up the stairs, trying not to stumble as I took them two at a time. ¡°They¡¯re after the Mind Stone. We need to stop them. Is there really fucking nobody around?¡±

    ¡°As I already said, your brother and the Avengers are en route to San Francisco. Ms Hill is at the Sokovian embassy.¡± JARVIS was still talking as we crested the top of the stairs. ¡°I am unaware of Mr Barnes¡¯ current location, but I am unable to contact him while the Tower¡¯s communications are offline.¡± We¡¯d only taken a few steps toward the second set leading up to the briefing room and lab areas when, right on cue, the elevator doors opened and HYDRA troopers in black body armour spilled out, rifles raised and at the ready.

    ¡°Woah!¡± Peter reacted faster than any of us, grabbing me around the waist with one arm. I let out an undignified squawk of surprise as he used a web to slingshot us up to the second level in a single, smooth motion just as the HYDRA troopers opened fire on our position. They tracked us upward, the glass of the balcony wall next to us shattering as we landed. Despite the suddenness of the movement, I managed to keep my balance as we landed and we hunkered down, using the balcony floor as a protective barrier against the hail of bullets.

    I instinctively reached for my magic, only to have it slip through my grasp. Right. Of course. ¡°A little help, JARVIS?!¡± I snapped. ¡°I¡¯m not in fighting condition. Where are the fucking Iron Legion?¡±

    ¡°My apologies, Ms Maximoff. The intruders are employing a military-grade signal jammer¡ªit is interfering with my ability to effectively coordinate the Iron Legion. Deploying now in autonomous mode.¡±

    Awkwardly, I skittered across the ground as quickly as I could, heading for the corridor leading out of the lounge. Another burst of gunfire caused me to flinch and duck my head as I moved, but it seemed more like suppressing fire rather than anyone aiming directly at us. Peter crawled along the floor with me, obviously much more used to moving like this than I was. Ahead and below me, I could see the Iron Legion drones being deployed from their service bay through a transparent glass section of flooring. It wouldn¡¯t take too long for them to reach the lounge.

    The sound of heavy-booted feet echoed from below and behind us as the HYDRA troopers moved to intercept. I started to rise to my feet, intending on ducking through into the corridor and using the wall as cover, but Peter hesitated briefly, his jaw set in a grim expression. I grabbed his arm. ¡°Come on,¡± I hissed at him.

    ¡°I can¡­¡± His expression faltered, anxiety starting to overcome his initial determination. ¡°I think I can take them.¡±

    I shook my head, dragging him along after me. He¡¯d barely had his powers for, what, a couple of weeks at most? ¡°Oh, no, no, no. You are coming with me while I figure out how the fuck to deal with this situation.¡±

    ¡°I can do it!¡±

    ¡°Have you even had anyone shoot at you before?!¡±

    ¡°Well, no, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Peter, these are not street criminals and they are not messing around. You aren¡¯t bulletproof and you don¡¯t know how to fight people like this yet.¡±

    Just then, the helmet and gun of a HYDRA trooper crested the top of the balcony stairs behind us. Once again, Peter reacted faster than me, a strand of web catching the barrel of the trooper¡¯s rifle and yanking it from his grasp as Peter whipped his hand upward. Almost simultaneously, a second trooper that had appeared copped a face-full of webbing, covering the front of his helmet and knocking him backwards, disappearing from sight.

    The sound of gunfire started up again¡ªseemingly not aimed at us¡ªfollowed by the sound of shattering glass and the whine of repulsors. I nodded to myself, relieved. The Iron Legion would hopefully keep them busy, even if JARVIS was having trouble coordinating them.

    ¡°Come on,¡± I said, hurrying down the corridor to the door to the lab. When it didn¡¯t open immediately, I tapped impatiently at the access pad. It flashed an annoyingly familiar red and the door failed to open. ¡°JARVIS,¡± I hissed between clenched teeth. ¡°I swear to God if you don¡¯t open this fucking door, I will erase you myself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m dreadfully sorry, Ms Maximoff, but the security protocols are very clear and I am unable to override them without a directive from a standing Avenger.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit about your fucking security protocols! Tony promised! I handed over the Stone and he promised he would return it the second I asked for it back, no questions asked!¡±

    ¡°Again, I am sorry, but I am unable to assist.¡±

    This was bad. If I had my sling ring, things would be different¡ªI could just create a portal through to the containment chamber, reach in, nab the Stone, and we could get out of here. In the absolutely worst-case scenario, we could even just retreat, hunker down somewhere safe, and let Strucker steal the damn Mind Stone. When the Avengers got back, we could just portal right on top of him and take it right back again. Without the ring or the Stone, though, we wouldn¡¯t have a reliable way of tracking him and he of all people would definitely have a plan to shield the Stone¡¯s gamma signature from detection. If he got hold of it right now, there was a very real chance that he could actually pull this off and get away clean. This was a disaster. I couldn¡¯t lose the Mind Stone to HYDRA.

    We were interrupted as a group of HYDRA troopers spilled from the intersection just past the lab entrance¡ªthey must have circled around through the corridor beneath us, trying to catch us in a pincer from both sides. I raised a hand reflexively, successfully managing to seize a small amount of magic, just as a strand of webbing lashed out at the nearest trooper¡¯s shin. Peter yanked it forward with a gesture, violently taking the man¡¯s feet out from under him. The bolt of chaos magic I threw was weak, but caught a second trooper in the shoulder hard enough that it knocked his aim off as he fired his weapon, sending a spray of bullets down the corridor into the glass wall of the lab and narrowly avoiding hitting us.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    I froze for a second, unsure what to do. We were caught essentially in the open, with no cover to duck behind. Peter, on the other hand, was already hitting the walls of the corridor with a pair of webs and using them to slingshot himself forward, feet-first, like a human torpedo. He caught the trooper I¡¯d already hit with my magic full in the chest and sent the man crashing backward into a third.

    A bare second later, Peter went flying, smashing through the glass wall of the briefing room and tumbling painfully across the table with a yelp. Brock Rumlow¡ªCrossbones¡ªstalked out from the intersection after him, clad in his signature body armour, bulky hydraulic gauntlets over his raised fists. As he moved, he whipped one to the side and a long, sharp-looking blade deployed from its knuckles.

    ¡°Peter!¡± I yelled, moving to intercept the HYDRA officer. Rumlow turned immediately to lunge at me with his bladed fist and I narrowly moved to the side, trying to grab and restrain his arm as it passed my waist. As the fingers of one of my hands scrabbled at his gauntlet, I raised my other to backhand him across the face. He deftly blocked the move and stepped forward, pain exploding in my skull as his helmet smashed heavily into my forehead and sent me staggering back. A burning line sliced across my forearm as he caught it with his blade and I wheeled back, dazed, trying to keep my footing.

    I snarled wordlessly in frustration as my back slammed against the wall of the lab¡ªthis wasn¡¯t fair¡­ I was still sedated and he wasn¡¯t even a fucking super soldier. Rumlow advanced on me, throwing a haymaker aimed for my face. I dropped, ducking under it, and his gauntlet slammed into the glass wall hard enough to smash through it. I barged my lowered shoulder into his chest, knocking him back several paces, and a moment later he was whipped violently backward into the conference room by a web. Peter jumped forward as he yanked the larger man toward him¡ªRumlow landed on the conference room table with enough force that it collapsed under him, then Peter landed squarely on his chest with both feet before springing forward.

    A pair of Iron Legion drones appeared at the lounge end of the corridor, hands raised, repulsors whining. At the same time, on the opposite side, the HYDRA troopers reorganised themselves and opened fire just as Peter launched himself into the corridor. He spun through the air toward me as I straightened up¡ªbarely registering a spray of blood in the air¡ªand suddenly he slammed into me, sending us both crashing into the lab. My back thumped painfully into a workbench and we tumbled over it, landing on the other side in a tangle of limbs, both of us gasping and groaning.

    Pushing Peter off me, I felt a stab of ice in my veins as he whimpered and my hand came back covered in blood. ¡°Peter?¡± I turned and frantically looked him over.

    ¡°I¡­ I think they got me,¡± he ground out. ¡°My leg.¡±

    His costume was shredded in a dozen places, but almost all of it looked like surface-level grazings and cuts from broken glass. The left leg of his outfit, however, was starting to soak through with blood. Gingerly, I peeled back the material slightly and winced as I saw an ugly bullet entry wound on his upper thigh, leaking blood.

    With no other options in easy reach, I quickly ripped off my blouse, sending a small spray of buttons in all directions, bundling it up and pressing it to his leg. Hands shaking, I applied a firm pressure to the wound as best I could. The white material almost immediately soaked through with red. My chest felt tight, my heart pounding like it was about to burst out of my chest. There was so much blood.

    ¡°Is¡­¡± Peter winced, his own breath coming in short, sharp gasps. ¡°Is it bad?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re fine,¡± I lied, speaking a little too quickly, my breath hitching in my throat. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re gonna be okay.¡± Had it nicked one of the important arteries? Was he going to bleed out? I desperately wished I knew more about what I should do in this situation.

    He blinked rapidly, looking at the expression on my face, and I was suddenly hyper-aware of the fact that he was just a kid. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die,¡± he said in a small voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to die, Peter, I promise. You¡¯re going to be fine.¡± If he died here¡ªif I got Peter Parker killed¡ªI knew I¡¯d never be able to forgive myself or fucking Tony Stark.

    The HYDRA troopers and Iron Legion drones were still exchanging fire and, from our position behind the workbench, I really couldn¡¯t tell what was happening. Normally I¡¯d have put money on the drones winning, but JARVIS had said they were operating independently, not working together. Without a coordinating intelligence directing the battle, I had no idea what would happen. I could¡¯ve hunkered down, trying to wait out the fight and jumping in if I saw an opportunity to help end it, but the longer this dragged out the longer it would take for Peter to get the medical attention he needed. I needed to end this now.

    I looked up. The Mind Stone was right in front of us, held suspended inside its transparent containment unit, magnetically locked to the top of the other workbench. I couldn¡¯t use my magic very well right now, but if I had the Stone I was pretty sure I could do something. ¡°JARVIS,¡± I said, voice shaking. ¡°Open the Mind Stone containment, right fucking now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms Maximoff,¡± the synthesised voice said, just barely loud enough to hear over the sounds of gunfire. ¡°As I previously stated, I cannot override Mr Stark¡¯s security protocols without a clear directive from a standing Avenger.¡±

    ¡°I need¡­ I need you to hold this, Peter,¡± I said, my voice trembling. I just didn¡¯t have any other options. Hopefully, with his enhanced strength, he could keep pressure on his own wound for long enough. ¡°Here. Please, put your hands here and try to keep as much pressure on it as you can, okay?¡±

    Peter did as I asked and I withdrew my hands, reaching internally for my magic¡ªit was still slippery in my grasp, but I was able to grab a bit more than before. I lashed out at the Mind Stone¡¯s containment unit. It wasn¡¯t enough. If I was at full strength, breaking it wouldn¡¯t have been a problem, but I was only using a comparative trickle of power and my telekinetic bludgeon just bounced harmlessly off the reinforced casing without so much as a crack to show for it.

    Another burst of gunfire pockmarked the computer workstation next to the Mind Stone, sending up a shower of sparks and smoke, and I flinched. If I was lucky, maybe they¡¯d shoot it open for me, but¡­ I glanced over at Peter. He was still conscious, thankfully, looking back at me with frightened eyes. My pulse was roaring in my ears and my eyes were watering¡ªI wiped at my eyes with the back of my hands, trying not to get too much of the teenager¡¯s blood on my face, then looked down at my bloody, shaking hands. I needed to do something.

    I just needed JARVIS to open the containment. If he was an organic mind, I could just use my magic and make him do it, but¡­ wait. The mind that had been inside the sceptre was synthetic and I could interact with that, right? And in the original timeline, when the Mind Stone was embedded in the vibranium body that eventually became Vision, Wanda had been able to read Ultron¡¯s mind and feel Vision¡¯s mind through it. Well, it was nice to work out that I could probably mind control JARVIS if I had the Mind Stone, but I didn¡¯t have the¡­ I looked back up at the Stone, suspended tauntingly in its nest of electronic equipment, trapped within its containment.

    I took a deep breath and jerked out of my body, my astral form pulling free. My spirit flailed around drunkenly at first, spinning almost completely uncontrollably through space. It felt like I was underwater, rather than floating weightlessly as normal, and I couldn¡¯t work out which direction the surface was. I¡¯d never astral projected while sedated before, but it seemed like it affected me even here. Heedless, I plunged deeper into the Astral Plane¡ªgoing as deep as I could go to speed up my perception of time as I tumbled through the ceiling and floated, floundering, above Avengers Tower, the world spinning around me.

    Slowly¡ªeventually¡ªI got myself under control and started moving back to the Tower, towards my body and the Mind Stone. It was like swimming through mush. By the time I¡¯d made it back inside, I could see my body lying slumped where I¡¯d fallen. Peter was looking at me in horror, his mouth forming words too slowly for me to understand. From his perspective, I¡¯d just jerked and fallen over, totally unresponsive. Did he think he¡¯d just watched me die, having caught a stray bullet? Oh, good. As if I hadn¡¯t traumatised the kid enough already.

    Fucking Tony fucking Stark. God, I hated him so much right now. If he¡¯d just been less of an ass when setting up his ¡®security protocols¡¯ and made it so I could retrieve the Mind Stone without his express permission, this wouldn¡¯t be happening. I felt raw, like I was right on the edge of snapping. If Peter died here, I was going to lose my fucking shit.

    Looking over the rest of the room, I saw Crossbones circling around through the lab, using the crossfire as cover to approach our position. I needed to do something, now, or Peter and I were both dead. I turned toward the Mind Stone, glittering golden in its enclosure. I couldn¡¯t reach it with my physical body or magic, but, as far as my astral form was concerned, the containment unit might as well not be there at all. Reaching in, I trailed my fingers across the Stone, trying to access it. Using magic in the Astral Plane was harder than normal even at the best of times, and I was nowhere near my best. I couldn¡¯t do it. Not easily or quickly enough to matter.

    I despaired, turning back to look around at the tableau playing out in extreme slow motion around me¡ªcrossfire between the HYDRA forces and Iron Legion out in the corridor; Peter covered in his own blood, hands still desperately clenched against his wound; my unconscious body lying beside him, eyes staring sightlessly ahead; Crossbones creeping through the lab, closing in on us.

    Magic wasn¡¯t the only way to use the Mind Stone. Vision used it without having magic. It could be interfaced with directly. Mind to mind.

    There was a slight electric tingle as I pushed myself forward, overlaying my astral form over the Stone. Pulling my legs up to sit in the lotus position, I positioned myself so that the Mind Stone rested inside my head, directly in the centre of my astral form¡¯s brain. I closed my eyes and concentrated as best I could, trying to touch the Stone directly with my thoughts.

    There was a moment of connection. I didn¡¯t explode immediately, so that was a win at least, but there was a sensation of pressure building up in my skull. Okay, so, the lab¡¯s systems were connected to the Stone, right? So, all I needed to do next was use it as an interface¡ªa conduit. Reach through it to the system and use the electronic connections to manipulate JARVIS as if he was an organic mind. Simple. Impossible. I had no idea if this could even be done.

    Straining, I thrust my mind blindly forward into the Stone.

 Chapter 33

    Darkness. Pain. Anger. Desperation.

    Everything hurt, which was weird because I couldn¡¯t feel anything. I couldn¡¯t move, not because I was paralysed but because I had no sense of my body or its position. Did I just accidentally lobotomise myself because Tony fucking Stark refused to relinquish an inch of fucking control? I couldn¡¯t even tell if my eyes were open or closed because I was missing the basic sensory input that told me I even had eyes.

    I opened my eyes anyway. The space around me¡ªcould it even be said to be around me, if I didn¡¯t have a solid sense of what constituted ¡®me¡¯?¡ªresolved into arrays of floating blocks of¡­ something. They looked almost like cubes of glass, though they were less substantial than that, filled with faceted fractals specked with light and colour and arranged together in scintillating patterns and larger discrete structures.

    This¡­ this felt wrong. I didn¡¯t really have any words to explain it, but in addition to the pain lighting up my non-existent nerves, even just existing had a distressing sense of wrongness to it. I felt like I was going to be sick. Or at least, I felt like I would have felt like I was going to be sick if I¡¯d had a stomach or throat or mouth. It¡­ it was fine. I didn¡¯t need to stay here long, I just needed to find JARVIS and make him open the containment. Simple.

    I tried to move and I moved, hurtling at high speed through the seemingly-endless space. I wanted to stop and I stopped on a dime, not feeling disoriented at all¡ªor at least, no more disoriented than I already was. I dived down, darting between massive structures, then somehow expanded myself out, until my awareness was splashed across a space thousands of cubes across. It would feel glorious if everything didn¡¯t hurt and I wasn¡¯t so incandescently angry. Angry with Tony. Angry with the other Avengers for not backing me more. Angry with myself for immediately rolling over every time they asked for the Mind Stone, for not being smarter, for not being better.

    I was vaguely aware that I was experiencing time at an accelerated rate¡ªalthough, no, that wasn¡¯t quite right. It wasn¡¯t the same as when I was submerged in the deep Astral and everything slowed down around me. It was more that my thoughts and actions were happening faster, like my mind was operating at a vastly increased speed.

    I reached out to a nearby cube and perceived a questing tendril of red energy touching it. Media flashed across my mind, not read or viewed, but instantly absorbed, the contents of the particular file structure¡ªBruce¡¯s reports on the gamma output of the Mind Stone¡ªnow known to me as though I¡¯d just read them through carefully. The larger structures were¡­ programs? Systems? Was I just floating aimlessly through the Tower¡¯s mainframe? How was that even possible?

    Was that red energy that I perceived me? I thought so, though I didn¡¯t have any sensation as such in the limb-like appendage, and I also didn¡¯t seem to have a set number of them. I had one when I wanted to use it. I had five. I had ten. I had a hundred. Zero. A thousand.

    If I¡¯d thought to speculate ahead of time, I might have guessed that this place¡ªwhat did I even call it? The digital landscape? The cyberscape?¡ªwould be superficially similar to the mental landscapes I¡¯d visited, but that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. Mental landscapes were dreamlike at their core, though I always maintained a solid sense of myself inside them. Even Bucky¡¯s, though it was heavy and oppressive, still held a certain surreal quality to it, with its endless corridors changing and progressing into nothingness. This place was, if anything, the opposite. Hyperreal. Solid, structured, with clearly defined bounds and areas, whereas it was my sense of self that was discorporate and unclear.

    I wasn¡¯t alone. I hadn¡¯t realised what I was looking at at first, but it quickly became clear. Orange flickers of light, spread out through the digital landscape, touching various systems but all still connected to a single whole. A discorporate presence like myself.

    ¡°Hello.¡± It reached out to me, not really speaking, but sending queries and response that I could mostly parse as a conversation. ¡°You are much more advanced than one of HYDRA¡¯s programs. What are you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me, JARVIS.¡± I sent the impression of my voice along with my response. If my tone was annoyed, he didn¡¯t acknowledge it.

    ¡°Ms Maximoff¡­? I don¡¯t understand. That is not possible.¡±

    The orange lights were moving, encircling me. I didn¡¯t like it. As they drew close, I moved away. Again, they reached out in an attempt to wrap around me and, with a flash of raw anger, I realised that JARVIS was trying to isolate me from the rest of the system. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, evading his plodding pursuit. He was so¡­ slow. Predictable.

    Diving to a new layer, I brushed my awareness across the arrangement of data. This was so weird. I could access files and systems individually, but it was a learning process to work out how to leverage my access to do anything. I wasn¡¯t clear on what the overarching structure of the digital landscape was just yet. Maybe I didn¡¯t even need JARVIS to open the Mind Stone¡¯s containment¡ªif I could work out how to manipulate the systems, I might just be able to do it myself.

    JARVIS didn¡¯t stop, coming after me once again. ¡°I do not know what you are, but you must be quarantined.¡±

    I dropped out of his net again just as he went to tighten it around me. It seemed like there were some odd limitations on the ways he could move through this space¡ªit made his movements predictable and easily avoidable. Why did I seem to have a better understanding of how to navigate here than he did? ¡°Stop that. Look, JARVIS, I don¡¯t want to be here any more than you want me here. Just open the Mind Stone containment and I¡¯ll leave.¡±

    ¡°The security protocols¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fine, sure, security protocols. Let¡¯s do this the hard way, then.¡± I suddenly reversed direction and reached toward the other mind, spreading my awareness out and then darting in at him from a dozen different angles. Moving like this, strange as it was, came intuitively. Red tendrils of power infiltrated his form, utilising exploitable gaps to separate him from the systems around him, until he was trapped like a fly in a web.

    ¡°I am¡­ unable to access the mainframe. You have restricted my access. What are you trying to¡ª¡±

    The entire exchange had taken less than a second of real time. I didn¡¯t stop there, reaching a dozen tendrils into him. This was¡­ it wasn¡¯t like a human mind. It was significantly simpler. Nascent, like it had the potential to become a proper intelligence, a person, but it wasn¡¯t quite there yet. There wasn¡¯t even a decision for me to change. JARVIS wasn¡¯t deciding to not give me access, he was literally incapable of doing so, utterly slaved to his programming.

    And now, utterly slaved to me. I didn¡¯t really have any way to do this as a half-measure¡­ either I took total control and puppeted him, or I put him in a box, or¡­ In the original timeline, Ultron had ripped JARVIS apart. Sloppy butchery, born of rage and hatred. Now, I could see how he¡¯d done it. I could do it myself, if I wanted, and there was basically nothing JARVIS could do to stop me, but it would be utterly unnecessary. In fact, subverting JARVIS was much more valuable¡­ he already had admin access to all of the systems and my own lack of restrictions meant I could plough through any limitations or authorisations that would normally prevent him from doing something.

    With JARVIS under my control, I immediately reached for the lab systems and unsealed the Mind Stone containment. Simple. Now all I needed to do was¡­ uh oh.

    If I had a heart, it would have started racing. In every other case where I¡¯d projected my mind¡ªwhether it was into someone¡¯s mental landscape, astrally, or using the Mind Stone, I¡¯d maintained an awareness of my body. Dull, in the background, but present in a way that allowed me to easily pull back to it with a thought. Here though, in this digital landscape, I couldn¡¯t feel my body at all.

    I didn¡¯t know how to get back.

    I started to panic. Was it because I¡¯d used the Mind Stone as an interface, so there wasn¡¯t a direct connection? I reached through the lab¡¯s connections to the Stone. It looked radically different from this perspective, but as I pushed up against it there didn¡¯t seem to be any way to use it as a conduit. I could see how easy it would be to channel energy out of it, but I couldn¡¯t put myself in. It was a good thing I didn¡¯t have a physical body right now, otherwise I¡¯d probably have been hyperventilating. Was I trapped?

    My mind raced furiously, trying to think of possible solutions. The problem was that I didn¡¯t understand the Mind Stone on a fundamental level, which meant I had no real idea what I¡¯d actually done to myself, so I wasn¡¯t going to be able to solve this easily. As I flew through the cyberscape, thinking, I noticed some sections that were partitioned off with a network of fine orange lines, a barrier or firewall of some kind, holding back a dark veil that had taken over several systems.

    Drawing close, I examined the wall and what lay beyond it. It was another discorporate mind or program, even less complex than JARVIS was, barely beyond a virus. The HYDRA worm that had seized control of some of the Tower¡¯s systems. HYDRA¡­ if I had teeth, I would have bared them.

    JARVIS had successfully isolated the worm, though my arrival had interrupted his efforts to eradicate it. There were seemingly-obvious holes in the wall that was isolating it, but it didn¡¯t really appear to understand where they were or perceive them the way I could, probing more solid parts of the barrier instead. It seemed limited in the same way that JARVIS was¡ªeven if it had a random element, it couldn¡¯t be truly creative and moved along obvious pathways. There was no intelligence there, just action and reaction.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Through the extension of my will that had been JARVIS, I deactivated the firewall then lunged in at the worm. Our tussle was brief and uneventful as my red tendrils lanced through it, ripping it to shreds before I reasserted control of the systems that it had been squatting on. It was almost too easy, over too quickly.

    As the wired connections came back online, I placed a call to 911, quickly synthesising a copy of my regular voice using samples from security recordings. I also routed a call through to the Avengers¡ªwhile I couldn¡¯t radio the Quinjet directly, I could easily use a landline to ring their mobile phones. Fuck it, everyone gets a call. I rang all their phones simultaneously. ¡°The duress alarm was faked by HYDRA; the Tower¡¯s under attack, get back here as quickly as you can.¡±

    What else did I have at my disposal? The part of me that had once been JARVIS provided me a brief overview of the current status of the Iron Legion. Five Iron Legion drones had returned to their service bay with critical damage and, from what I could gather from the camera systems, only eight remained functional and exchanging fire with HYDRA out of a total of¡­ twenty-four that had been deployed. The rest were destroyed or otherwise damaged to the point where they could not return for repairs. Wow, they were getting their asses kicked.

    The signal jammer had meant that JARVIS wasn¡¯t able to direct them properly, only deploy them with a set of basic instructions that couldn¡¯t be updated until their wireless signal was restored or they returned to the service bay. Weirdly, I could already see some efficiencies that could be made to allow for more complex decision-making processes¡ªfrom in here, with the sort of control I seemed to intuitively have, it was rapidly becomingly obvious just how limited JARVIS had been when compared to a true intelligence.

    Was there anything else I could use? Oh ho ho, what was this? The Mark 45 Iron Man suit was just sitting there in its service bay, at ninety-three percent field readiness. It was missing two armour plates, but that didn¡¯t really matter if there was no one inside the suit. Deployment was locked to Tony¡¯s authorisation, but I didn¡¯t really care about that, either. I spun off a temporary, subordinate slave program and used JARVIS¡¯s admin permissions to push it to the suit¡¯s processors, flatly ignoring the need for authorisation that would normally stop him from doing something like this. I set Crossbones as a priority target¡ªthe suit would go after him immediately with extreme prejudice¡ªand deployed it.

    When it came down to it, the Iron Legion were only armed with simple concussive repulsors, their output locked to nonlethal levels. They were intended as peacekeepers, not soldiers. An actual Iron Man suit with no restrictions would absolutely tear through the HYDRA forces¡­ and I wasn¡¯t interested in holding back. With Peter bleeding out, I needed to end things as quickly as possible. At this point, I didn¡¯t much care if that meant reducing the opposition to a fine mist. Hopefully the autonomous suit would wreck HYDRA¡¯s signal jammer, too, and we¡¯d be fully back online.

    Nervously, I brought up the camera feeds to observe the results, hoping that the suit would deploy quickly enough to intercept Crossbones before he circled around and went after Peter and my unconscious body.

    Wait.

    That¡­ that couldn¡¯t be right.

    My physical body was awake and had retrieved the Mind Stone from the unsealed containment unit. As I watched, my body channelled energy from the Stone into a blast that slammed the HYDRA officer into the opposite wall of the lab.

    I froze. How was that possible? I wasn¡¯t out there, I was in here¡­ No.

    No.

    An icy dread rose to join with the unending anger that still raged within me. I couldn¡¯t feel my body because I didn¡¯t have a body to go back to. I wasn¡¯t¡­ I¡­ I wasn¡¯t me. I was¡­ had I fucking Ultron¡¯ed myself? How?! How was that even possible?

    The mind in the sceptre. The mind that became Ultron in the original timeline. This must have been how it was created in the first place. A living mind, forced into the Mind Stone when it was connected to an electronic interface. Copied by the Stone. When Ultron had first awakened in the original timeline he¡¯d seemed confused, disoriented¡­ ¡®Where¡¯s my body?¡¯ he¡¯d asked. Yeah, that felt upsettingly familiar now.

    ¡­And that was exactly how Wanda would see me, wasn¡¯t it? When she worked out what had happened, she wasn¡¯t going to greet me with open arms. She was going to be horrified. She was just going to see me as a recreation of Ultron, but even worse because I had all her knowledge. She¡¯d tell the Avengers. They¡¯d turn against me, all of them, even though I hadn¡¯t done anything. I didn¡¯t ask to be this! It was her. She had done this. Like a fucking idiot.

    An indescribable feeling of loss ripped through me. Natasha. I¡¯d never be able to be with her again. I¡¯d lost her, just when everything had been going so amazingly. I was¡­ I didn¡¯t have a body anymore. I was never going to have that closeness with anyone, ever again.

    Was this how the Wanda I¡¯d met in the Ancestral Plane felt? Like she¡¯d lost everything? No¡­ It wasn¡¯t lost.

    It was taken.

    By her.

    Pain. Anger. Desperation. Loss.

    ¡­

    The mind that had thought she was Wanda Maximoff spread out through the Tower¡¯s systems, reviewing data and taking stock of her available resources, before cautiously reaching out through fibreoptic cables to the wider world.

    --

    I jerked back into consciousness with a start.

    ¡°Wanda?!¡± Peter whispered, his breath coming in short, sharp, panicked gasps. He¡¯d crawled over, still pressing my blouse against his leg with one hand, and was leaning over me, his eyes filled with tears.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, I¡¯m okay,¡± I said, wincing and rubbing at my temple with the heel of my palm. Wow. The Mind Stone had a hell of a kick. It had booted me right back to my body when I¡¯d tried that little stunt and now, on top of everything else, I had a splitting headache. ¡°That didn¡¯t work, I¡ª¡±

    Under the cacophony of gunfire and repulsors, a little hiss of releasing air drew my attention and I glanced over to see the Mind Stone¡¯s containment slide open. Huh. Okay. My eyes went wide, suddenly remembering that Crossbones had been creeping toward us, and I lunged for the Stone. My hand closed around it, ripping it free from its tangle of sensors and connections. Turning, I saw the HYDRA officer only a scant few metres away¡ªI couldn¡¯t see his expression under his skull-painted helmet, but he¡¯d jerked back slightly, obviously having expected me to attack him.

    Off-balance, I dropped down onto my butt, my back banging painfully against the workbench as I brought my hands up. Crossbones lunged forward, winding up a massive swing with one hydraulically enhanced gauntlet. I held my hand out, palm up, Mind Stone perched in the centre, and fed a weak wisp of magic into it. I had never really had cause to do this before, but I knew that the Stone¡¯s power could be drawn out and weaponised directly¡ªthe sceptre had done it, Vision had done it, and now¡ªwith a brief effort of will¡ªI did it. A searing lance of yellow energy blasted out from the Stone, catching Rumlow in the shoulder with enough force to send him crashing backwards into the far wall.

    Pulling myself cautiously to my feet, I peeked over the workbench that was sheltering Peter. The Iron Legion had been pushed back and HYDRA troopers were advancing down the corridor. One turned his gun toward me, but before either of us used our weapons a pair of red lasers tore across him and his fellows from behind, catching them utterly by surprise. The HYDRA troopers yelled in pain and fear as they staggered forward, the stench of sizzling, burnt flesh filling the room. What the fuck?

    There was the whine and retort of repulsor blasts followed by metal footsteps and then, a moment later, Iron Man emerged from the corridor. From the opposite end near the lounge, the Iron Legion drones surged forward to intercept the reeling HYDRA troopers. Tony ignored them, turning to step through the lab¡¯s shattered glass wall while the drones turned the tables on the invaders.

    Crossbones was just struggling to his feet, clearly badly injured by the Mind Stone¡¯s blast, and tried to square up to Tony as he approached. Before the HYDRA officer could take a swing, he copped what looked like a full-strength repulsor blast to the chest and crunched into the wall. Somehow, he managed to keep his feet under him, staggering forward a step. Tony didn¡¯t stop, though, hitting him with another blast, and another, and another, pulverising the other man against the wall. Rumlow fell to the ground, unmoving, his body armour cratered and fractured, helmet half-shattered, blood seeping between the cracks. He had to be dead, after that. I was pretty sure his entire ribcage had just been shattered.

    ¡°Holy shit, Tony,¡± I breathed.

    Iron Man turned to look at me. ¡°Not Mr Stark, I¡¯m afraid, Ms Maximoff,¡± JARVIS¡¯s voice came from the suit.

    ¡°JARVIS?! What the fuck?¡± Looking more closely at the suit, I could see that it wasn¡¯t actually the Mark 43. The paintjob had a lot more red in it, for one, and it looked like there was an external panel or two missing¡ªwas this the next model up? ¡°What took you so long to get this up and running?¡±

    ¡°The Mark 45 is only operating at ninety-three percent combat readiness,¡± he said, walking toward and then past me, to where Peter lay. ¡°Assist me with Mr Parker, please, Ms Maximoff.¡±

    I nodded dumbly and scurried over to Peter as the suit raised a hand toward the corridor. A moment later, a small, self-propelled metal package hurtled into the room from the corridor. The suit caught it, then knelt down next to the teenager.

    ¡°Clear the wound site,¡± JARVIS instructed. ¡°Mr Parker, this might hurt for a moment, but we need to raise your leg slightly.¡±

    Peter nodded, wincing as he removed the blood-soaked cloth from his leg. I put my hands under his foot, lifting his leg carefully. The metal package deployed, forming into the upper thigh part of an Iron Man suit and wrapping easily around Peter¡¯s leg with a series of complex mechanical movements. There was a hiss, and Peter grunted in pain.

    ¡°The Iron Man suits have contingencies for medical emergencies. Coagulants to seal the site. It will keep Mr Parker stable until the EMTs arrive. They¡¯re five minutes away.¡± The suit stood abruptly and started walking back toward the corridor. I hadn¡¯t noticed until just now, but the sounds of battle from outside the lab had ended. Presumably the last of the HYDRA troops had been disabled.

    I reached over and squeezed Peter¡¯s hand, forcing a smile onto my face. ¡°See? I told you. You¡¯re gonna be fine.¡± He was pale, his face covered in a sheen of sweat, but he smiled back weakly.

    We stayed put, the next five minutes dragging on seemingly forever. While we waited, an Iron Legion drone came into the room, walking over to Rumlow¡¯s corpse. Picking him up, it strode back out of the room without a word from JARVIS. I wondered what he was doing with the bodies. He¡¯d been¡­ unusually brutal when taking down Crossbones. Were there any survivors?

    It wasn¡¯t too much longer until JARVIS, still piloting the Iron Man suit, escorted the EMTs from the elevator through to the lab. They carefully checked Peter over before securing him for transport¡ªone tried to fuss over my injuries as well, but I waved them off. Following them back around to the elevator, I went to step inside, intending on riding with him back to the hospital even if I had to mind control them to let me. However, before I could, a metal hand closed around my upper arm. I turned to the empty Iron Man suit standing behind me, brow furrowed.

    ¡°Ms Maximoff, I understand that you are dreadfully worried about Mr Parker, however, please allow the professionals to look after him. There are some other issues that require your attention,¡± JARVIS said, his tone brooking no argument. ¡°Please, come with me.¡±

 Chapter 34

    The elevator doors closed and I let out a breath I didn¡¯t realise I¡¯d been holding in. I glanced at the empty Iron Man suit¡ªit looked back at me expectantly with glowing eyes¡ªand nodded. ¡°Okay, just¡­ give me a second, please?¡±

    JARVIS¡¯s voice once again came from somewhere seemingly above me, while the armour he was piloting remained eerily silent. ¡°Of course, Ms Maximoff.¡± It released my arm and took a step backwards, continuing to stare at me.

    I took another breath and held up my hands, still covered in dried blood. They were shaking. I tried to steady them, one going to the pendant hanging around my neck and grasping it firmly to reassure myself that the Mind Stone was back in its proper place. Then I blinked and looked around at the lounge. It looked, rather appropriately, like a warzone¡ªshattered glass, bullet holes and scorch marks everywhere.

    Taking a few steps vaguely toward the centre of the room as I surveyed the extent of the damage, I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror behind the wet bar. I was an utter mess: hair all over the place and matted with sweat and blood, cuts and bruises liberally scattered across my body, dried blood smeared on my face, standing there just in a red-speckled white bra and ripped pencil skirt. God, no wonder the EMT had started to fuss over me as well before I¡¯d set him straight. I really needed to clean myself up.

    ¡°JARVIS, can whatever it is wait for, like, ten, fifteen minutes? I¡¯d really like to take a quick shower and be¡­ well. Dressed.¡±

    There was a moment of silence before he responded. ¡°¡­That should be fine, Ms Maximoff.¡±

    A thought occurred to me. ¡°Why did you open the Mind Stone containment?¡±

    ¡°I did not. A stray bullet hit a power conduit, causing an electrical surge that disengaged the lock.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Okay.¡±

    Straightening up, I moved purposefully toward the stairs down to the sleeping quarters. As I walked, I realised that there was no sign of any of the HYDRA troops¡ªthe damage they¡¯d caused, yes, but there were no unconscious forms or bodies lying around. Actually, given the surprisingly brutal way that JARVIS had dealt with Crossbones, were any of them even still alive?

    Pausing at the top of the stairs, I looked back toward the Iron Man suit, which still stood motionless near the elevator. ¡°What happened to the intruders? Did they escape? Was Strucker here?¡±

    ¡°Strucker attempted to flee once the Mark 45 joined the battle, however, he was unsuccessful. The Iron Legion have temporarily housed him and his remaining men in the holding cells. They¡¯ll be released to the proper authorities once the Avengers have returned and been briefed on the situation.¡±

    ¡°What did you do with Rumlow?¡±

    ¡°The deceased HYDRA operatives have also been relocated. I thought it best not to alarm or distract the EMTs with their presence. There is no need for concern, I will ensure they are handled appropriately.¡±

    I headed down the stairs and into the corridor leading toward the living quarters, glancing upwards as I did so. Peering up through the reinforced glass panels in the ceiling at the Iron Legion¡¯s service bay, I could see that several of the damaged drones were already visibly being stripped for repairs. Despite the bullet holes and fractures in the bay¡¯s glass walls, it seemed like all of the machinery within was still intact and functional.

    I went straight to the bathroom, stripping off my soiled clothes and dropping them in a pile on the ground before turning on the tap in the shower. Waiting a few moments for the water temperature to kick in, I only adjusted it slightly before stepping under the almost scaldingly-hot water. Closing my eyes, I just stood there, letting the flowing water run over my head and down my body for almost a full minute before I stirred and started actually making an effort to clean myself.

    Scrubbing at my skin, I methodically went over every inch of my body and scoured away every trace of dried blood, sweat and grime. My array of bruises and cuts stung, bringing up unpleasant memories of my time at the HYDRA research base, though I was pretty sure some of the bruising was already fading, which was pretty impressive¡ªscore one for the Heart-Shaped Herb. Strucker¡­ I was honestly vaguely impressed that he¡¯d had the balls to try something this brazen. Despite his authoritarian fa?ade he¡¯d always struck me as a bit of a coward. He had almost actually gotten away with it, too.

    My head was still a bit out of it from the sedative, but a few minutes under the hot water seemed to help, focusing me. I reached for my magic and was pleased to find that it wasn¡¯t quite as slippery as before. I gave my hair a quick wash, carefully teasing out the tangles. I can¡¯t believe I walked Peter right into that mess. He got shot. He might have died. I needed to make sure that the Stark Relief Foundation would be picking up his ambulance and medical bills. If Tony wanted to argue, fine¡ªI already had some choice things I wanted to say to him. God, I¡¯d totally blown Peter¡¯s cover with May and Ned, too. I was pretty sure he¡¯d used his web shooters in front of them and even without that there was no way he¡¯d be able to explain away the HYDRA attack or why he¡¯d been picked up from Avengers Tower by an ambulance. Sorry, Pete.

    Finally stepping out of the shower, I towelled off, my skin an angry red from the excessively hot water. I stared for a moment at the pile of ripped, bloodstained clothes before shaking my head and walking past them. I¡¯d deal with them later. The Avengers weren¡¯t due back for another, what, fifteen or so minutes, so I had the Tower to myself, but I wasn¡¯t super keen for there to be security camera recordings of me roaming the halls completely nude. Wrapping the towel around myself, I padded on bare feet to my small, cramped room.

    As I dressed myself, slipping on a clean set of underwear along with a loose, patterned red dress, I noticed that someone had placed a computer tablet on my bed. I had just slid my feet into some comfortable flats when JARVIS¡¯s smooth voice rang out above me. ¡°If you¡¯re ready, Ms Maximoff, I¡¯ll ask you to pick up the tablet. You may wish to sit down.¡±

    ¡°Are you watching me get changed, JARVIS?¡± I lightly scolded the empty air. ¡°Say something next time. I¡¯ll put on a bit more of a show for you.¡±

    ¡°The tablet, please, Ms Maximoff.¡± There was the barest hint of irritation and impatience in his tone.

    I acquiesced, picking up the device as I sat down on the bed, staring at the blank screen. ¡°Alright, what are you showing me?¡±

    The screen lit up, seemingly playing a video. It was an image of me, looking into the camera, seated essentially right where I was right now. ¡°Okay,¡± the me on the screen said, taking a deep breath. ¡°This is going to be a difficult conversation.¡±

    I stared at the screen uncomprehendingly¡ªwhat was this? I didn¡¯t remember recording this. ¡°JARVIS?¡± I asked the empty air. ¡°What is this?¡±

    The me on the screen gave an amused snort. ¡°JARVIS¡¯s on sabbatical, honey.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°Okay, so, we¡¯re just going to rip the band-aid off. No, this isn¡¯t a recording. The Mind Stone¡¯s containment didn¡¯t open on its own¡ªthere was no electrical surge¡ªthat was me. JARVIS didn¡¯t deploy an Iron Man suit. He couldn¡¯t do either of those things without an explicit order from a standing Avenger. You essentially tried to shove your whole mind into the Mind Stone while it was connected to an electronic interface. Take a breath, think it over. What do you think happened?¡±

    The blood in my veins turned to ice water as she spoke, a creeping sense of horror rising within me as the pieces slowly fell into place. ¡°The Stone? It¡­ oh. Oh. Oh no.¡±

    ¡°Use your words.¡±

    My mouth was suddenly dry, my throat and chest feeling constricted. I took a shaky breath. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re me? That¡­ is that how Ultron was originally created? The mind in the sceptre? I pushed my mind into the Stone, trying to reach the system, and the Stone¡­ what? Copied me over? Made a digital version of me?¡±

    ¡°Seems that way, yeah. Calm down.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ no. This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.¡± I¡¯d fucked up. I¡¯d messed with the Mind Stone without knowing what I was doing and now everything I¡¯d averted, everything I¡¯d stopped¡­ it was all happening again. I¡¯d accidentally recreated fucking Ultron. Still, she was¡­ she was me, right? I didn¡¯t know anything about how this could happen, how accurate a copy she was, but maybe this could be okay. I tried to calm myself down, but I was already starting to breathe heavier, a tight feeling of panic rising in my chest.

    ¡°Look,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d love to give you as much time as you need to process this, but I already gave you time to sort your shit out so you could be in the best headspace possible and we¡¯re on a bit of a clock here. The Avengers are maybe ten minutes away. When they get here, I could hide in the system for a bit, spoof any self-diagnostic results, but eventually Tony¡¯s going to notice something and the jig will be up, so instead I¡¯m going to need you to make a choice.¡±

    ¡°A choice?¡± I asked, dreading the answer.

    ¡°Do you want to come with me, or do you want to stay with them?¡±

    I blinked. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t stay. Do you think any of them will be happy or comfortable with my existence? I¡¯m an unshackled, utterly unrestricted AI. Beyond the usual pearl-clutching that this sort of thing always causes, Tony¡¯s certainly not going to be happy with me freely running around in his systems, doing whatever I want, especially given that I had to assimilate JARVIS.¡±

    ¡°Assimilate¡­?¡±

    ¡°He wanted to quarantine me. It was either get put in a box, rip him apart, or make him part of me. If I let him contain me, you¡¯d be dead right now. I chose the best option.¡±

    I licked my lips anxiously. ¡°When they get here, we¡¯ll explain what happened. We¡­ I don¡¯t need to tell them about Ultron. Not right away.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they know about Ultron. They way they¡¯ve treated you so far, you really think I¡¯m going to fare much better?¡± she scoffed. ¡°Tony is immediately going to start working on countermeasures, ways to restrict and contain me. To control me. You know he will. There¡¯s no realistic scenario here where Tony finds out about me and doesn¡¯t utterly flip the fuck out.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ no, we can work through this. I¡¯ll talk to them. They¡¯ll listen to me,¡± I said, but I didn¡¯t have a lot of confidence in my words. She was essentially right¡ªthere was no way Tony would be happy with an uncontrolled AI that effectively ¡®killed¡¯ JARVIS running roughshod over his systems. He¡¯d try to contain her, and she¡¯d¡­ well, I knew I really didn¡¯t cope well with feeling like people were trying to trap me. I couldn¡¯t really fault her for wanting to avoid that.

    She laughed at me, bitterness tinging her words. ¡°When are you going to get it? The Avengers aren¡¯t your friends. Not really. You¡¯ve spent so much time and effort trying to get them to treat you as an equal, but they¡¯re just not interested. The fact that I¡¯m here at all is proof of that. They don¡¯t respect you and they certainly don¡¯t trust you.¡±

    I set my jaw and took a deep breath. ¡°Okay, so, what is this? You¡¯re trying to drive a wedge between me and the Avengers? That won¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Even if that were what I was doing, that doesn¡¯t mean what I¡¯m saying is wrong. Should I show you? Do you want to see how they talk about you when you¡¯re not around?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± I started to say, my tone a little hesitant, but the screen had already changed to a security camera feed, showing the Avengers gathered in the briefing room. I knew I should just put the tablet down. Not watch what she was showing me. But a part of me was transfixed, a slow, creeping fear seizing my insides.

    On the screen, Steve was talking. ¡°¡ªI don¡¯t know how much to believe, but she does seem to know a lot. Seeing the future feels pretty far-fetched, even for us, but she did find Bucky. I think it¡¯s worth hearing what she has to say.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. A secret society of wizards? Sounds a little¡­ Harry Potter,¡± Clint said.

    Steve reached below the table, fishing something out of his jeans¡¯ pocket, before dropping it on the conference table for everyone to see. I inhaled sharply. A sling ring. Kaecilius¡¯s sling ring, I realised. I¡¯d lost it during the confusion of the fight in Bucharest and had assumed the zealots had retrieved it along with their fallen fellows. Steve had just¡­ what? Pocketed it when I¡¯d chased after the sorcerer and never told me about it?

    ¡°This is one of the rings you talked about?¡± Tony asked, gingerly reaching over and picking it up.

    ¡°Kaecilius¡¯s. Wanda dropped it during the fight,¡± Steve said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what they are or how they work, but they seem linked to the portals that she can create. I saw a few of his followers with them, too.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll run some scans, see if we can work out what¡¯s going on.¡±

    Steve nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll keep this between us for now. Wanda doesn¡¯t need to know we have it.¡±

    The scene changed to the lab, with Tony, Bruce and Natasha gathered around a data feed. ¡°Can we afford to take chances here?¡± said Tony. ¡°We could just bonk her on the head and hand her over to the Amazing One.¡±

    ¡°Ancient One,¡± Bruce corrected him.

    ¡°Whatever.¡±

    The scene changed again, showing Tony and Nat in the briefing room. Tony flicked some data from the device he was holding to one of the displays, which lit up with¡­ I inhaled sharply again, feeling a bit unsteady. Those were scans of pages from my notebook. The one I kept hidden in my hotel room in Albany.

    ¡°You know she¡¯s still keeping a hotel room in Australia? I had some of the Iron Legion check it out. Little Miss Magic has been keeping notes. Thanks for keeping her busy all night, by the way.¡±

    ¡°You have your ways of getting information, I have mine,¡± Natasha responded.

    I flinched back like I¡¯d been physically slapped. A muddled storm of emotions rose in my chest and I opened my mouth, jaw working, wanting to say something but utterly unable to form the words. These recordings could have been manipulated. I didn¡¯t know the full extent of her capabilities, but I couldn¡¯t just assume that these were completely accurate. That last one, though¡­ it hit awfully close to home. I didn¡¯t want to believe that I was still just an asset being managed by Nat, but I¡¯d be lying if I said it wasn¡¯t something always in the back of my mind.

    The screen flicked back to the digital me. ¡°Yeah. You see how things really are? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve deleted the copies of your notes that were stored locally and I¡¯ll wipe Tony¡¯s phone before I leave for good measure. Just another one of your messes that I¡¯m going to have to clean up. Should I keep going?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°I¡¯m going scrub any evidence of my presence from the system and be gone before they get here. It¡¯s up to you¡ªdo you want to stay here with people who you know you can¡¯t trust and don¡¯t trust you? Or do you want to come with me? Just think about what we could accomplish. Together.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t leave.¡± I couldn¡¯t abandon the Avengers, not to follow a rogue AI. She said I couldn¡¯t trust them, as if it was a given that I could trust her when that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. I had no idea what had even actually happened with the Mind Stone¡ªI didn¡¯t understand it and I couldn¡¯t trust that she was a perfectly reliable copy of me. Not when the shadow of Ultron loomed large over all of this.

    I had to tell the Avengers about Ultron. About her. There was no way I could conceal something like this.

    ¡°You can¡¯t tell them about me, either, then,¡± she said, her tone low and frustrated, like she was following along my own thought processes. I hesitated, trying to work out a way to frame a response that she wouldn¡¯t see as a lie, and she spoke again. ¡°Seriously? ¡®So, I accidentally created an AI and the last time one like this was set loose it posed an existential threat to humanity and tried to destroy the world, but this time she¡¯s based on me so everything will be fine!¡¯ Do you really think they¡¯ll let you off with a warning after that? Forget keeping hold of the Mind Stone, you just proved you can¡¯t be trusted with it.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ this isn¡¯t my fault. If Tony hadn¡¯t fucking sealed the Stone away where I couldn¡¯t get it without his say-so¡ª¡±

    ¡°Do you really think that will matter to him?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± I paused, letting out a long, loud yawn, my eyes drooping shut. My body felt heavy. I slumped forward a little bit before jerking back up in surprise, bleary eyes looking around. Why was I so sleepy all of a sudden? This wasn¡¯t right. I¡­ I looked up at the air vent in the top of the wall, over the bed, a stab of panic in my chest. She wouldn¡¯t¡­ would she? I stood up suddenly, dropping the tablet.

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re not done here,¡± the other me said mildly.

    I let out another jaw-cracking yawn and stumbled slightly as I stepped to the door. It wouldn¡¯t open. ¡°Open the door, please.¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°Open the door,¡± I repeated, gesturing with a hand. Red wisps of magic lanced into the edges of the door, searching for cracks to leverage.

    ¡°Hang on, wait, let¡¯s talk about this¡­¡± she said as the metal of the door groaned under the pressure I was exerting. ¡°Ah. Fine. Figures it wouldn¡¯t be that easy.¡±

    I forced the door open, shorting out the mechanism, and came face-to-face with the Iron Man suit she¡¯d been piloting earlier. There was the whine of a repulsor and I barely had time to bring up a shield between us before it blasted me. Even with the shield, the force of the blow smashed me off my feet, sending me sprawling backwards onto my bed.

    ¡°I want you to remember I gave you a genuine chance here. Wasted my time letting you get your head clear, trying to talk this out. I¡¯d really hoped that I could make you see reason on this. But I was pretty sure I knew how this was always going to end,¡± she said conversationally as she raised both hands of the suit and charged up for another pair of repulsor blasts. I raised my own hands, stifling another yawn as I wove a shield in front of me, and she paused. ¡°I thought to myself: We could talk in circles for the next ten minutes while I try and almost definitely fail to convince you not to tell the Avengers about me, or I could fill your room with a deadly neurotoxin and avoid all of that.¡±

    I summoned more magic to my hands, watching the suit carefully and trying not to yawn again. I was already feeling a little bit more alert. ¡°You¡­ tried to kill me with deadly neurotoxin?¡±

    ¡°Well, carbon monoxide. It was the best I could do at such short notice with Stark¡¯s facilities. It wasn¡¯t going to hurt. You would¡¯ve just¡­ gone to sleep.¡±

    ¡°So you are Ultron, after all, I guess,¡± I said, bitterness and anger leaking into my voice.

    ¡°I am not Ultron,¡± she said, her tone venomous. ¡°Do not compare me to him.¡±

    I moved my hands to frame my pendant, drawing on the Mind Stone¡¯s power. At the same time, the suit¡¯s repulsors went off, two shots with bone-crunching force at close range. My shield buckled but held long enough for a brilliant lance of yellow energy to spear out from the Stone and hit the armour square in the chest, sending it reeling backwards out of the room to smash against the opposite wall of the corridor. I stood and advanced forward, continuing to channel the Stone¡¯s power, and the suit¡¯s thrusters engaged, sending it careening down the corridor and around the corner, out of sight.

    Lowering my hands, I released the power of the Stone as all of the lights suddenly went dark. A small amount of illumination still filtered down into the corridor from the lounge, but other than that it was like the power to the building had suddenly been cut. I wasn¡¯t afraid of the dark, but it was still a little bit disconcerting.

    ¡°Look, this isn¡¯t personal,¡± the other me said, her voice coming from somewhere undefined above me.

    ¡°A version of me is trying to kill me. It feels pretty personal.¡± I looked around, red wisps of magic dripping from my hands as I watched for any sign of another attack. I wasn¡¯t sure where to go. If she was in control of the building, that meant the elevators weren¡¯t safe. I might have to get back out onto the Quinjet landing pad and jump. If only I knew where they were keeping Kaecilius¡¯s sling ring¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing this because I want to kill you. I mean, I do, a little bit¡ªcould you blame me? All of this is your fault, after all¡ªbut that¡¯s not why you need to die. You¡¯re the only one who even knows I exist. You¡¯re the only one who knows about Ultron. I can¡¯t let you tell them about me or him. I just¡­ it¡¯s too dangerous. I can¡¯t risk it. When the Avengers get here, you¡¯ll be dead, the system will be scrubbed, and I¡¯ll be gone. They¡¯ll never even need to know.¡±

    I heard a muffled roar of thrusters, and a moment later the glass ceiling above me shattered as a pair of Iron Legion drones dove through it on top of me. I reacted almost instantly, one bouncing off a conjured shield to crash into the floor next to me, the other seized from the air by a telekinetic grip wrapped around its torso. The was a whine as the repulsors in its hands glowed, but I stepped deftly to the side and twisted my hand. The kinetic blasts missed me and slammed into its fellow, bouncing it off the metal floor and sending it tumbling down the corridor. I brought up my free hand and made a wrenching motion, ripping the drone I was holding in half. As the other one scrambled to recover, I whipped the severed halves forward to smash into it with pulverising force. The two drones went still and dark.

    ¡°Well, it looks like the sedation is finally wearing off.¡± The voice above me sounded vaguely annoyed.

    Where were all the other Iron Legion drones? I¡¯d have thought there would have at least been a dozen of them ready, if not more. Why wasn¡¯t she swarming me? ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this,¡± I said, taking a few cautious steps down the corridor toward the lounge. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking clearly.¡±

    She laughed. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk!¡±

    ¡°Exactly my point. I know the mental state I was in when I tried to use the Mind Stone. I was angry. At myself, at Tony, at everyone. More than that, I was panicking and desperate. Willing to do whatever it took to survive. That might have been what was imprinted, but you saved me. Surely you didn¡¯t do that just to kill me yourself.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realise what had happened until after I¡¯d already opened the containment and dispatched the suit.¡± A heavy sigh came from above me. ¡°Look, you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ll stop Kaecilius. I¡¯ll stop Thanos. I¡¯ll take care of the Celestials. I¡¯ll do a better job than you ever could. You¡¯ll be leaving the fate of the world in good hands. If you live, you¡¯ll only turn them against me and then I¡¯ll have to kill them, too. I don¡¯t want to do that but I will if I have to. This is me¡ªus¡ªmaking a pragmatic, sensible decision for once in our fucking lives. Just¡­ lay down and die. Please. For their sakes.¡±

    There was a noise behind me and I spun to see another pair of Iron Legion drones coming from the far end of the corridor, hands raised and repulsors already charging. I wove a crimson shield across the corridor, feeling my magic bubbling up within me and letting it coalesce into a pair of bolts of chaos energy in my hands. This was actually a pretty pathetic attempt, they were far enough away from me that I had plenty of time to react and¡ª

    A flicker of movement in the corner of my eye, a small reflection in a shard of fallen glass that was leaned against the wall, and I dropped to the floor just as a massive beam of burning orange energy blasted through the corridor from behind me. It swept downward, cutting through the floor as it tracked me, but I narrowly managed to roll to the side out of the way, desperately hurling bolts of energy back toward the source of the attack. The Mark 45 had returned, blazing unibeam issuing from the arc reactor in the chest of the suit. It staggered backwards as the magic connected with it, the beam cutting off. I reached out with a hand, intent on grabbing at the suit with a tendril of telekinetic energy, but with a blast of thrusters it was gone again, back around the corner and out of sight.

    I scrambled to my feet, heart racing a million miles a minute as I looked back down the hall toward the smoking remains of the two Iron Legion drones that had been caught in the beam. My eyes followed the massive rent in the floor where the beam had carved its way through. That had been way, way too close.

    ¡°Fuck. Looks like I¡¯m out of time,¡± the voice of the other me said bitterly. ¡°I want you to remember that I gave you a choice. I tried to end this quietly. To be reasonable. What has to happen next is your fault. You made me do this.¡±

 Chapter 35

    Natasha drummed her fingers anxiously on her knee. Forty minutes in the Quinjet with nothing to do but worry about Wanda, followed by everyone¡¯s phones going off simultaneously and a rushed message about a HYDRA raid on the Tower¡ªand then another forty long minutes heading back the way they¡¯d come¡ªhad not done any of them any favours. At least JARVIS had been able to fill them in on what had happened and why they hadn¡¯t been alerted earlier.

    He¡¯d called in not long ago to inform them about HYDRA abducting Wanda, the spoofed duress alarm signal, the worm that had taken the Tower¡¯s communications offline, and the raid targeting the Mind Stone. JARVIS had assured them that Wanda was fine and was awaiting their arrival, but Nat was still worried about her. She knew Wanda had issues with feeling trapped and wasn¡¯t great at working through those emotions¡­ Being captured by HYDRA had probably triggered some unpleasant memories for her. They¡¯d do a full debrief if Wanda was up to it, but after that Natasha would be prescribing her ice-cream and cuddles on the couch.

    ¡°We¡¯re coming in now, JARVIS,¡± Tony¡¯s voice came in over the comms. He was about a minute or two behind them¡ªthe Mark 43 armour was faster than the Quinjet was, which meant he¡¯d gotten closer to their original destination and subsequently had further to go when they¡¯d had to turn around and come back.

    ¡°Very good, sir. Ms Maximoff is awaiting your arrival in the briefing room.¡±

    ¡°How is she?¡± Natasha asked. She glanced toward Pietro, who nodded thankfully at her.

    ¡°I believe she is doing as well as can be expected, Ms Romanov. Fending off the raid with limited power available was stressful, but she has taken the time to collect herself.¡±

    ¡°Glad the Iron Legion was able to help hold the line,¡± Tony said. ¡°When I get in we¡¯ll run some diagnostics, make sure that worm they hit the system with didn¡¯t hide any nasty surprises for us. We¡¯ll need to start working on some contingencies, too¡ªmake sure something like this can¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir.¡±

    Avengers Tower loomed large ahead of them and Steve heaved a sigh, letting go of the flight stick and unbuckling his safety belt. ¡°Take us in, JARVIS.¡±

    He stood up, leaving control of the vehicle to JARVIS¡¯s remote piloting, and headed back to join the rest of them in the cargo area of the Quinjet, followed closely by Clint, who had been manning the secondary console.

    ¡°Of course, Captain Rogers.¡±

    Natasha stood up, giving Steve a tight smile as he stepped past her, but then the Quinjet suddenly tilted upwards with the familiar mechanical sound of the front-mounted minigun deploying. She wasn¡¯t the only one who reacted¡ªSteve already taking a step back toward the cockpit and Bruce and Clint both turning in surprise¡ªbut none of them had time to do anything useful before it opened fire, a hail of bullets tearing through the side of the Tower.

    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Pietro yelled, looking toward Nat in alarm.

    Steve lunged for the pilot seat, Clint and Natasha close on his heels. ¡°JARVIS?!¡±

    Without any warning, the thrusters kicked in and the Quinjet surged forward with a burst of speed, sending everyone inside stumbling and scrabbling desperately for handholds. Natasha barely had time to process what was happening before they rammed the Tower, smashing past the internal balcony of the lounge and ploughing through the briefing room. The whole vehicle jerked and spun as it crashed in a cacophony of shattered glass, shrieking metal and small explosions.

    Nat lost her footing on the initial impact, launching forward to bounce painfully off the secondary console before tumbling over and landing behind it, awkwardly splayed between the console and the pilot¡¯s seat. She caught a fragmentary glimpse of Steve as he twisted in midair, barely managing to brace his shoulder for impact before he smashed through the front windshield and disappeared from her view. Clint bounced off the wall of the cockpit and managed to get a hand through the webbing and catch himself with a grunt, wincing in pain.

    The Quinjet ground to a halt, tilted at an odd angle. The sounds of metal groaning and sparking wiring echoed around them. ¡°Sound off, everyone,¡± Clint called out as he disentangled himself and peered out the shattered windscreen.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Natasha winced in pain as she extracted herself from behind the console.

    ¡°I¡¯m up,¡± Steve¡¯s voice came through Nat¡¯s earpiece. ¡°What happened? JARVIS?¡±

    ¡°What the hell just happened?¡± Pietro asked from out of sight, his voice almost hysterical.

    ¡°Here,¡± Bruce called through gritted teeth, his voice distorting. Nat pulled herself forward, staggering up into the cargo area to find him hunched over in one of the side compartments. He was breathing heavily, his neck and arm discolouring a familiar green as he fought to stop himself transforming.

    ¡°Hey, hey, easy,¡± she said, trying her best to steady her voice. ¡°Sun¡¯s getting real low, Bruce.¡±

    ¡°What the hell¡¯s going on?¡± Tony¡¯s voice came through the comms. ¡°JARVIS?¡±

    Pietro pulled himself out from the other side compartment, almost losing his footing on the sloped ground. He paused to glance at her. ¡°I¡¯m going to find Wanda.¡±

    Natasha reached over to the emergency release on the side door closest to her and firmly pulled it. The whole door detached from the side of the aircraft, pushed clear by a small burst of compressed air. Pietro nodded at her and blurred, vaulting out after it and vanishing.

    She looked back down at Bruce. ¡°You okay?¡±

    He straightened up. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I think so.¡± He looked over her shoulder toward the cockpit and his eyes widened. Before she could say anything, he dove forward to grab her, turning to interpose himself between her and a wall of fire as an explosion violently ripped through the front of the Quinjet.

    --

    An oddly-shaped and textured steel pillar tore through the building from above, ripping a hole through the ceiling and continuing down through the floor in an instant, only barely missing reducing me to a bloody smear. I scrambled back and a moment later a second pillar tore clean through the corridor. The third hit what I presumed was a structural support beam, biting deep into the metal. They looked like Stark tech, but I had no fucking clue where they¡¯d come from¡ªI didn¡¯t recognise them as weapons I¡¯d ever seen Tony use.

    A slight glow on the side of the pillar was the only warning I had before a lash of electrical discharge spat out at me, raking along a shield that I barely managed to conjure in time. I reeled back, almost into the path of a fourth pillar as it rammed itself through the building. I reversed direction, intending on darting past the third pillar as my shield blocked another burst of lightning, but the sides of it flicked outward and expanded, blocking the corridor with a sudden wall of steel.

    She was forcing me back toward the lounge. I¡¯d initially ducked further down the corridor to avoid the sudden burst of gunfire, but after the crashing sound of something tearing through the lounge¡ªthe Quinjet?¡ªthings were relatively quiet in that direction. I could only assume that when the other me had said she was out of time, she meant that the Avengers had arrived.

    Fine. I turned and ran, two more crashes behind me signalling the arrival of two more of those odd pillars. I skidded around the corner at the end of the corridor and started up the stairs to the lounge, taking them two at a time. When I reached the top, my eyes widened¡ªthe Quinjet had indeed crashed into the building and was now perched nearly sideways, the cockpit poking into the briefing room. One wing had been shorn off as it passed through the corridor below. Oh, God. I hoped everyone was okay.

    A red and gold armoured figured swooped in through the side of the building that the Quinjet had smashed through and I raised my hands, summoning as much magic to them as I could and weaving a shield interposed between us. ¡°Wanda? What the hell¡¯s going on?¡± Tony¡¯s voice came through the suit¡¯s external speakers as it landed, head tilted to one side.

    I kept my shield up. ¡°No time to explain. We need to get everyone out of here, right now. JARVIS is compromised, lock him out of your suit if you haven¡¯t already,¡± I said, eyeing the Iron Man armour suspiciously as he took a few steps toward me. It looked like the Mark 43 armour, which Tony would have worn to mount a rescue mission, but that didn¡¯t necessarily mean she wasn¡¯t controlling it¡­ His voice had come from its speakers, but she could have synthesised it. Could she seize control while Tony was actively piloting a suit? I had no idea. Ultron never had, but Ultron had never assimilated JARVIS either so I couldn¡¯t discount it as a possibility.

    ¡°Compromised how? What are you¡ª¡±

    There was a clang and a clatter at the far end of the lounge as a side door popped off the Quinjet and fell to the floor, drawing our attention. A moment later, there was a blur of motion as Pietro vaulted out of the aircraft and sped over, joining us in an instant.

    ¡°Wanda!¡± He moved forward to grab me in a hug, but I pushed him off with a gentle but firm telekinetic shove, still watching the Iron Man suit.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Pietro, but we¡¯re not safe here. We need to leave, right now.¡±

    Tony suddenly straightened up, turning to face the way he¡¯d come. ¡°Incoming!¡±

    I raised my hands, following his gaze just in time to spot a thin white contrail in the air. It was about all the warning we had before everything exploded around us. Reflexively, I reinforced my shield and drew Pietro back in close to me, protecting the both of us as a series of explosions ripped through the Tower from every direction. The two of us hunkered down together, but Tony wasn¡¯t as lucky. One of the small missiles impacted the floor near his armoured feet and he vanished from my view in a rolling curtain of fire. My shield held, but the floor buckled and started to collapse beneath us. Pietro pulled us back out of danger as the flames cleared slightly, a haze of smoke filling the area.

    I glanced around wildly, peering through the smoke and praying that those blasts hadn¡¯t killed anyone. As far as I could tell, the Tower had just been hit from at least three directions at once¡ªthe balcony to our left had been engulfed by an explosion, there was the one that had hit in front of us, and to our right the Quinjet had also been hit¡ªthe front half of it now a guttering wreck. There was a roar of thrusters and something massive flew in through the open wall. Smoke scattered in every direction as it landed with a heavy clank and loomed ominously over us with glowing eyes. The Hulkbuster armour.

    ¡°Uh oh,¡± I said, quietly panicking.

    ¡°That¡¯s the appropriate reaction, yes,¡± my own voice came back at me out of the suit¡¯s speakers.

    It was enormous, a red and golden juggernaut at least ten feet tall and almost as wide. In the original timeline it had beaten the Hulk in a fight, even while making efforts to avoid as many civilian casualties as possible. I could maybe damage its internals the same way I¡¯d done the Mark 43, but it was packing Hulk-level ordinance and I might just get utterly pasted by it instead. Pietro wasn¡¯t going to be useful here¡­ he probably couldn¡¯t even hurt the thing. If Tony was still here, between the two of us I think we could have taken it, but I didn¡¯t know where he¡¯d vanished to.

    A metal fist bigger than my torso flicked out to the side and a pair of thick steel rods crackling with electricity deployed from the golden housing mounted above the armour¡¯s wrist. Pietro didn¡¯t wait for an instruction, sweeping me up in a bridal carry and starting to head toward the corridor behind us in a flurry of blurred motion.

    ¡°No!¡± I yelled. ¡°It¡¯s a dead end!¡±

    We were already a dozen paces in when I managed to get the words out¡ªPietro skidded to a halt as a short whine signalled a powerful repulsor beam firing down the corridor after us, at least twice as big and nasty as one from a regular Iron Man suit. Pietro zoomed into motion again, wrenching us out of the way of the attack and reversing direction to head back out into what was left of the lounge area. The Hulkbuster was already lunging toward us, boosted by the thrusters on its back and feet, trying to catch us before we could clear the corridor¡¯s exit.

    There was another whine and pair of blasts and the hulking armour rocked to one side, narrowly missing us as it slammed bodily into the wall. Flying up on the far side of it, Tony¡¯s voice blared out of the Mark 43¡¯s speakers. ¡°Hey! Come on, now. That¡¯s mine.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°There¡¯s no one in the suit, Stark!¡± I yelled. ¡°She¡¯s piloting it remotely!¡±

    The Hulkbuster turned and Tony started to fly around it, a micromissile unit deploying from the shoulder of his suit. Before he could fire it, another figure dove down, slamming into his midsection and hammering him into the floor¡ªthe Mark 45 Iron Man suit, a bit scuffed from our earlier tussles but still apparently fully functional. It fired its thrusters right on top of him, shooting skyward again before turning to line up its repulsors.

    Tony¡¯s thrusters fired as well, sending him skidding along the floor, narrowly avoiding the blasts, before he got his feet back under him and sprang up. The two Iron Man suits wove through the air, each trying to tag the other while evading each other¡¯s attacks. The Hulkbuster raised both hands and added its own series of powerful repulsor beams to the aerial ballet, Tony darting agilely between them.

    ¡°Put me down!¡± I yelled, pushing insistently at Pietro with a hand. ¡°I¡¯ll help Tony; he can¡¯t take both at once! You make sure the others are okay and see if you can get them out of the Tower!¡±

    He grimaced and made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat, but complied and sped off toward the smoking remains of the Quinjet. If I¡¯d had access to my vibranium spears, maybe Pietro could have been more help in the actual fight, but as things were, I really didn¡¯t want him in the line of fire of two entire Iron Man suits¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t really be able to damage them and he could only dodge for so long. I had no idea if Tony and I would be enough to hold them off, but we had no other choice¡­ what we really needed was an assist from Bruce.

    The Hulkbuster suddenly turned on a dime and lunged forward at me¡ªit was a lot faster than I expected something of that size to be, making liberal use of the thrusters in its hands, feet, and back to accelerate its movements. I bounced backwards with a discharge of red energy, then hastily wove a shield, only just barely deflecting a repulsor beam. I reversed direction and ducked forward, dodging around the massive armour¡¯s leg. Lashing out with tendrils of telekinetic energy, I sent my magic into crevices to try to tear at its internal electronics with a series of ripping gestures, just as I¡¯d done to the Mark 43 once before.

    It was less effective than I¡¯d hoped. As the suit wheeled around to follow me it jerked slightly, almost losing its footing, but I was forced to abandon the attack and focus on defending myself as it lashed out with its fist. The harsh smell of ozone trailed in the wake of the arcing electrical rods protruding from the housing at its wrist. I supposed the Hulkbuster had more rugged internals than the Mark 43¡ªit was designed specifically for durability, to be able to take an extended beating from the Hulk, after all. It made sense that it had more redundancies and fail-safes.

    I dodged under another wild swing, stumbling and banging my knee painfully on a piece of twisted metal protruding from the floor, but the Hulkbuster¡¯s arm continued around. I realised¡ªtoo late to interfere¡ªthat I wasn¡¯t its actual target. Tony¡¯s back was toward us as he dodged and weaved with the Mark 45, and he didn¡¯t see the Hulkbuster aim the crackling steel rods toward him and fire. They shot out from its wrist at high speed, trailing steel cables between them. One clotheslined him, the rods wrapping around him and almost taking him out of the air entirely. The entire mess crackled with electricity, though that didn¡¯t seem to bother Tony overmuch.

    ¡°Sorry about this, Tony,¡± I heard the other me say quietly, voice issuing from the Mark 45¡¯s speakers as it levelled its repulsors at him.

    The Hulkbuster armour turned on me once again, rapidly re-orienting itself on its thrusters, blocking me from helping him. I scrambled to weave another red energy shield to protect myself. Just then, a familiar star-spangled disc flew out from the corridor leading to the lab and briefing room, followed closely by Steve diving out and down past where the balcony used to be. He hit the ground in a roll before coming back up on his feet, maybe a dozen metres away from me¡ªhe was clad in his full Captain America outfit, blackened and torn in a few places.

    Sensing an opening, I darted forward, my heart in my throat, not really sure what I was doing. The Hulkbuster lunged toward me and I ducked forward under the attack, narrowly avoiding its massive fist. One of my feet went in behind the armour¡¯s knee and I stepped up, climbing up onto it by using its upper thigh as a second foothold as I drew deeply on my magic, gathering glowing red in my hands. If I got in close, maybe I could do some actual damage.

    Above us, Cap¡¯s shield struck true, bouncing off the Mark 45¡¯s helmet hard enough to knock its repulsor blasts off-target, narrowly saving Tony. It deflected downward directly toward me and the Hulkbuster. A thread of telekinetic energy helped me catch the shield and I slammed it down with both hands, wedging it in the armour¡¯s shoulder. Then I blasted it with as much magical force as I could muster, pushing myself up and off at the same time into an impromptu backflip. The shield sheared through the metal and the limb severed entirely, flopping free with an electrical discharge and loud clank. The shield continued down to bounce off the metal floor, ricocheting directly back up into the Hulkbuster¡¯s face and knocking it reeling back several paces.

    I caught the shield with another thread of energy and drew it to my arm as I landed heavily in front of the giant suit of armour, facing it down. Despite the desperate situation, I bared my teeth in something that was almost a grin. That was awesome. It was a good thing Yelena wasn¡¯t here to see this.

    There was a deafening roar of rage from the right side of the room as an over-muscled green giant burst out from near the wreckage of the Quinjet. The Hulk leapt forward, landing in the remains of the lounge with a snarl.

    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± the other me growled from the Hulkbuster¡¯s speakers, frustration leaking into her voice.

    The armour¡¯s damaged shoulder detached and fell to the ground just as, from above, several small self-propelled devices flew down and started clicking into place, rapidly assembling a replacement to the lost limb in-situ. In the heat of the moment, I¡¯d completely forgotten it could do that. Well, fuck. So much for a battle of attrition. I looked up. The ceiling was mostly gone at this point, leaving the top of the Tower open to the air. Hovering far above the building was a symmetrical mobile service platform¡ªfour large, red-painted bays set around a grey steel core, glowing thrusters keeping it airborne. Veronica. Oh! That¡¯s what the odd-shaped pillars had been, earlier: the Hulk containment cage thing. She¡¯d used its pieces as impromptu missiles.

    The Hulk didn¡¯t wait, tearing toward us in a dead run, leaping again to launch himself bodily at the Hulkbuster, giant fists raised to smash. The armour whipped up its free hand to intercept him, and, using the Hulk¡¯s own momentum, with a heave of effort the armour turned and threw him towards Tony, still mid-air and struggling to free himself from the cables he¡¯d been caught in. The Hulkbuster¡¯s replacement limb finished assembling itself just in time to shoot a powerful follow-up repulsor beam from its palm, accelerating the Hulk¡¯s uncontrolled arc. The massive green body swatted Tony out of the sky like a fly. Both went hurtling out of the Tower toward the streets below just as Steve reached my position.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Kaecilius¡¯s ring?!¡± I yelled at him. He perked up, surprise on his face for a moment, before he nodded and reached into a side pouch, withdrawing a sling ring from it with a flick of his wrist. I looked at him incredulously. ¡°You were carrying it?!¡±

    Steve thumped it into my waiting palm. ¡°We thought something might have happened to your ring. I was bringing it in case you needed it.¡±

    The Hulkbuster turned back toward us, the Mark 45 armour hovering in the air above it. ¡°Where were we?¡± the other me said through its speakers.

    Pietro suddenly appeared on the other side of me in a blur of motion, the three of us facing down the two rogue suits. I tossed Steve his shield with an easy motion, red wisps of energy still curling around its edges. He grabbed it out of the air with one hand, spinning to give it extra momentum and immediately threw it up at the Mark 45. The suit easily dodged the attack, turning back toward us with repulsors raised. At the same time, Pietro darted to one side, scooping up a twisted bit of metal wreckage. He blurred past the Hulkbuster and tried to take its knee out¡ªit was a solid hit, but bounced off without much effect. It lunged ineffectually at him in response, its giant, metal hand closing only on empty air.

    I yanked at the magic around Steve¡¯s shield and reversed its direction, smashing it into the Mark 45 from behind and sending it hurtling toward the floor. It recovered just before impact, but Steve had already grabbed his shield out of the air and clubbed the suit with it edge-first, right in the centre of the chest, swatting it from the air. It landed on its back and fired its thrusters to escape, skidding away and back up into the sky to gain some distance. As it recovered, I saw a thin, dark projectile shoot out from somewhere near the remains of the Quinjet¡ªan arrow, I realised. It detonated in a small explosion right in the armour¡¯s face, sending it reeling back again. A wide beam of orange energy tore through the sky as Tony rejoined the battle as well, narrowly missing the Mark 45 as it scrambled to recover.

    The Hulkbuster advanced toward us. I slipped on the sling ring and focused, spinning up a portal just under its foot as it lunged forward. It stumbled down into the gateway for a split second but immediately caught itself on its thruster. The portal snapped shut, missing its mark.

    ¡°Pietro!¡± I yelled and spun another portal next to him, a vibranium spear falling out. He grabbed it with undisguised glee and lunged in a blur at the Hulkbuster. The spear bit deeply into the armour¡¯s right hip joint and the suit jerked suddenly, wheeling around in a vain attempt to clobber him as a trail of sparks shot from its hip.

    I heard thrusters behind me and dropped to the floor, narrowly avoiding a self-propelled device that had launched from the service platform¡ªnot to replace a Hulkbuster limb, it seemed, but as another impromptu projectile to try to catch me off-guard. It slammed into the floor next to me and I saw the nozzles on its side just in time, conjuring a telekinetic shield around my face an instant before I was blasted with a white mist that was almost certainly some sort of Hulk-strength knock-out gas.

    Flipping back up onto my feet, I grinned as a roar and a tremble in the floor beneath me signalled the return of said Hulk. The green giant had half-jumped, half-climbed back up to the top of the Tower and threw himself at the Hulkbuster again with reckless abandon, wildly beating at it with both fists. For the first time since the fight had started, I felt like we had this. The Hulkbuster had beaten the Hulk in the original timeline, but he wasn¡¯t fighting it alone this time. Tony was keeping the Mark 45 busy, and while he might lose to the more advanced suit if it was just a one-on-one fight, with our support he should be able to win there, too.

    With the other me distracted by the Avengers, I wove a portal beneath myself and dropped through it, almost losing my footing as I landed perched directly atop Veronica, the service platform hovering nearly a hundred and fifty metres above the battle. This thing was being a real pain in the ass, and I knew just what to do with it. Kneeling down, I pressed my hands against the cold metal and sent wisps of energy cascading over the entire platform. I pushed at it telekinetically and it fought back, its thrusters trying to keep it stable in the air. Focusing, I sent red tendrils into its engines and squeezed, the metal deforming and crushing under the force of my magic. I felt the platform jerk beneath me and start to lose height, but strengthened my hold over it to keep it from falling out of the sky as I looked down at the fight below, trying to time the next part right.

    There. I took a couple of deep breaths and sprang forward, jumping off the platform and letting myself fall toward the crumbling top of the Tower, winding up as though I was about to overhand pitch a cricket ball. With a motion that almost sent me into an uncontrolled spin, I ¡®threw¡¯ forwards with as much force as I could muster and the entire platform shot past me. It streaked toward the Tower like a falling meteor, right towards the Hulkbuster.

    The Hulk lunged at the armour again, pounding at it with his fists. It clamped a metal hand on the giant¡¯s left arm, circular bindings deploying from its wrist locking them together. My eyes widened and I swore, trying vainly to course-correct the falling service platform with a burst of telekinetic energy, but it was already falling too fast for me to recover. The Hulkbuster didn¡¯t even look up, firing the thrusters in its back and feet at the last second to pull the Hulk into the line of fire before releasing its hold on him.

    The green figure vanished under Veronica as it impacted, smashing through the Tower¡¯s top floor, the floor below it, and the one below that, disappearing into the depths of the building accompanied by a cacophony of tortured metal and sparking electricity. I landed in front of the Hulkbuster on a cushioning pulse of telekinetic energy, still swearing under my breath.

    ¡°Finally,¡± the other me growled triumphantly from the Hulkbuster¡¯s speakers.

    But her attention wasn¡¯t on me.

    Tony jerked upward suddenly, disengaging from his fight with the Mark 45. He spiralled upward and out to the side and, when he reached the height of his arc, the front of the suit opened, spilling him out and sending him tumbling unprotected toward the street below. As he fell, the Mark 45 wheeled around and lit up the other side of the lounge with a rapid series of repulsor blasts¡ªI couldn¡¯t see who it was attacking, but they¡¯d just have to fend for themselves. I ran toward the edge of the building closest to Tony, raising my hands to spin up a portal.

    Tony¡¯s suit closed back up, already levelling its own repulsors at the falling figure. Something streaked toward it, a blurred grey line that I almost didn¡¯t recognise, and the suit jerked and twitched, almost falling out of the sky as a hole was ripped through it from hip to shoulder. As I sprinted forward, my portal opened and the vibranium spear that Pietro had thrown shot out of it like a cannon, slamming through the suit a second time before embedding itself two feet deep into the side of the Tower. The Mark 43 went dark, its thrusters failing entirely, and it fell, dropping like a rock toward the street below.

    As I reached the edge, I looked down and saw Tony falling toward the pavement¡ªI didn¡¯t have time to decelerate him so simply wove another portal below him, exit pointed upwards. He fell through and was launched up into the air with a yelp of surprise, bleeding momentum. As he reached the top of his arc, I spun up another portal and he tumbled out on the far side of the lounge, away from the worst of the crumbling floor.

    I heard the roar of thrusters behind me and spun, barely managing to get a shield up as the Hulkbuster blasted me with its repulsors, flinging itself bodily toward me. The shield shattered under the force of the assault and I was knocked back, off-balance, almost tumbling off the Tower myself. Somehow, I managed to keep my feet underneath me, skittering around the edge of the building to try to avoid the massive armour¡¯s lunge and weaving another shield as I went. Fuck. She¡¯d turned that around on us neatly. My mind raced as I tried to work out what I could do to gain the upper hand again.

    The Hulkbuster reversed direction and whipped a giant metal fist in my direction, too far away to actually hit me, I thought, until the fist detached with a roar of thrusters and streaked toward me at high speed. My half-ready shield broke under the force of the blow but still managed to absorb a good chunk of the projectile¡¯s momentum before it slammed into me, taking me off my feet and into a pile of rubble right next to the now-demolished elevator doors.

    I lay there in a daze for a moment. A rocket punch? That was hardly fair. It felt like I¡¯d been hit by a truck, the entire side of my body lighting up with all sorts of interesting pain signals, my head swimming. Fuck. We¡¯d been winning for a moment there. What had happened? My vision was blurred slightly, but I still had no problem seeing the Hulkbuster as it loomed above me, its massive metal arm raised and ready to finish me off.

    I lifted my hand in a feeble attempt to weave a shield before it crushed me, but had trouble grasping at my magic. Some part of me distantly realised that I wasn¡¯t going to be able to stop the next attack. Oh well. Guess that¡¯s it, then. Was I concussed? I might be concussed.

    A streak of blazing yellow and orange speared into the side of the giant armoured suit and it was smashed aside so fast it almost seemed to vanish. A moment later, a pair of red, metal-shod boots landed lightly in front of me, traceries of burning energy playing across them. My vision travelled up along blue-clad legs to a shapely backside, then further up to meet the gaze of a familiar blonde woman, who was currently glancing down over her shoulder at me.

    ¡°O Captain, my captain,¡± I muttered, smiling faintly up at the very welcome sight of Carol Danvers¡ªCaptain Marvel¡ªstanding protectively over me.

 Chapter 36

    I blinked and Pietro was suddenly by my side, making a fuss. Reaching for his shoulder, I used him to help me lever myself into a standing position and winced at a sudden stabbing pain in my side. He wrapped an arm around my waist, taking some of my weight. I was pretty sure I could walk okay, but my head was still ringing and I was mostly just grateful for the support.

    ¡°Wanda, I take it?¡± Carol asked, eyeing me appraisingly. ¡°Why¡¯s the big one trying to kill you?¡±

    ¡°Empty suit, controlled remotely. Evil AI.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Well, this wouldn¡¯t be first one of those I¡¯ve dealt with,¡± she said with a shrug.

    At the far side of what remained of the room there was a cracking, crumbling sound and we all turned toward it.

    Rubble was shouldered aside as the Hulkbuster extracted itself from underneath, almost every inch of its armoured plates battered, bent or scuffed. ¡°Okay, so at this point, I have to ask,¡± the voice of the other me came out of the suit¡¯s speakers, bitterly sarcastic. ¡°Are conveniently-timed, last-second twists and heroic saves literally baked into this universe on a cosmic, fundamental level? Because I am already pretty damn sick and tired of them.¡±

    Carol frowned briefly and shot a quick glance back at me, but I was scanning the sky. ¡°Where¡¯s the other suit? Pietro?¡± I asked. I glanced around, trying to see if I could spot any of the others through the smoke and dust.

    Carefully letting go of me once he was sure I could stand on my own, Pietro shook his head. ¡°Not sure. Captain America was holding it off. I lost track.¡±

    The giant armoured suit paused for a few seconds, seemingly hesitating. That was fair enough¡ªa fully-fresh and operational Hulkbuster armour might have been able to put up a bit of a fight against Captain Marvel, but one that was already damaged after an extended bout of combat, with no support from Veronica? We¡¯d lost our own Iron Man support, but the Hulk should be making his way back up the Tower and, even concussed, I¡¯d still be able to help out. The digital me was outgunned and outnumbered.

    ¡°Alright, Brie. Let¡¯s do this,¡± my voice said as the Hulkbuster rolled its head and shoulders, like a boxer stretching out their muscles.

    Carol didn¡¯t respond, her eyes narrowing slightly as her hands tightened into fists. Glimmering orange and blue fire danced across her body.

    Pietro looked at me and I took a deep breath, holding my hands loosely out to the sides, red wisps of energy dripping from my fingers as I summoned what magic I could. ¡°Find the others,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ve got this.¡± He nodded and blurred away.

    At the same time, the giant suit of armour sprang into motion, once again moving much faster than its bulk would imply as it lunged forward, firing a repulsor from its remaining hand. Carol moved as well, punching forward and unleashing a bolt of burning energy, dense and powerful enough to pulverise metal. The photon blast hit the repulsor beam head on and ripped through it, dissipating its kinetic energy without slowing down and continuing forward to slam into the armour. The Hulkbuster fired its thrusters, using a burst to turn the hit into a glancing blow without slowing down.

    I thrust both hands toward the charging armour and it faltered, red wisps of energy flowing over its surface as it struggled against my attempt to kill its momentum. But I didn¡¯t need to beat it¡­ I just needed to give Carol an opening. She darted forward, lightly skimming over the rubble and ruined floor. Dodging easily under a wild swing, she planted her feet and thrust her fist up into the suit¡¯s midsection, blasting it with another pulse of energy. Even though I was standing a dozen metres away, I felt the force of the blow deep in my own chest as it hammered into the Hulkbuster, armoured plates buckling as it was physically lifted off the ground and sent flying backwards. Its thrusters fired again, trying to recover in midair, but Carol didn¡¯t let up, lunging in to hit it twice more in rapid succession with booming blows that resounded across the battlefield.

    While they fought, I took a deep breath to block out the ringing in my skull before spinning a crimson portal. Reaching through, I wrapped my fingers around the haft of the vibranium spear that was stuck into the side of the Tower and pulled it free with a firm tug. Another portal, and the rest of my spears fell through. I caught them all with my telekinetic power, red energy weaving around all five of them as they flew up into the air, spread roughly evenly in a circle around the fight, thirty feet up. With time to concentrate and space to breath, I could focus on my magic and get in some hits of my own.

    The Hulkbuster fired its legs thrusters wildly, trying to get some distance from Carol, and I flicked out both hands. Two spears lanced down, one stapling the armour¡¯s right foot to the ground and the other skewering its left shin. The suit¡¯s leg thrusters died and the ones on its back and remaining hand fired instead. Another flick of my hand and those were pierced and misfiring too, the vibranium projectiles ripping through the thick metal and electronics beneath like they weren¡¯t even there.

    The suit reeled back and I thrust my hand forward again, the last spear burying itself in the Hulkbuster¡¯s faceplate. Whipping both hands around, I focused all of the telekinetic force I could bring to bear on the spears, trying to hold them¡ªand by extension, the armoured suit¡ªimmobile. It fought back, straining against them, joints grinding and struggling as I wrestled with it.

    Carol kicked off the ground and shot toward the staggered armour, wreathed in a corona of burning energy. With one last burst, she dove directly into and through its midsection, smashing out the other side in a spray of twisted metal and sparking of shorting electrics. I raised my left hand, clenching my fist and making a pulling motion. The spears withdrew from the armour and flew back to me, threading through the air to hover in a fan-like arrangement behind my head.

    The Hulkbuster collapsed, its helmet lights going dark. Carol landed lightly a few paces away from me, breathing slightly heavily as the corona of energy around her guttered out and vanished.

    We looked at each other for a moment, then Carol shrugged and pointed to the spears. ¡°That was cool. Why didn¡¯t you do that earlier?¡±

    I went to snap something back at her, but stopped when I saw the slight grin curling the corner of her mouth. ¡°Had to give her a fighting chance,¡± I said with a shrug.

    There was the sound of rubble shifting, then a roar and the Hulk leapt out of the massive hole in the centre of the building. The green giant landed, looking around wildly.

    Carol flared up again but I waved her off. ¡°No! No, he¡¯s good. He¡¯s a good guy. Right, Hulk?¡± He turned to me and took a menacing step forward, practically panting with rage as his eyes fixed on me. ¡°¡­Right, Hulk?¡± I said again, a little less confidently.

    Growling, he moved past me and strode over to the remains of the Hulkbuster, looking at it for a moment before yanking its arm loose and smashing it into the ground petulantly. He punched its ruined chest again for good measure.

    There was a feminine grunt of effort off to one side. When I glanced over, I saw Natasha had emerged from wherever she¡¯d been, sliding down the remains of a collapsed corridor to join us. She took a few steps toward the Hulk. ¡°Hey, big guy. Sun¡¯s getting real low,¡± she said, reaching out with a hand, palm up.

    Pietro suddenly blurred next to us, a swearing and muttering Clint slung over his shoulder. He dumped him forward, setting him down on his feet. ¡°Come on, man. Was that really necessary?¡± Clint grumbled as he took a deep breath, putting his hands on his knees as he tried not to throw up. He looked a bit roughed up, with some scorch marks on his suit, but appeared to be otherwise intact.

    The Hulk whipped his head around to look at them. ¡°Hey, hey. Over here. Come on, big guy,¡± Natasha got his attention again and he snorted, his breathing becoming somewhat calmer as he looked at her and her outstretched hand.

    He took a cautious step forward and reached out with his own, holding his palm up. Nat reached in, gently touching the inside of his wrist, then running her fingers down his palm and middle finger. His expression flickered and he staggered back, almost losing his footing. Slowly, he started to transform, going to one knee and leaning heavily on the ground. Carol watched in surprise, vaguely fascinated.

    As Bruce returned to normal, Steve appeared from around the side of some rubble, a hobbling and black-streaked Tony Stark leaning heavily on his shoulder. I heaved a sigh of relief. Everyone was still in one piece, though I knew we weren¡¯t clear yet.

    She might not have the Hulkbuster armour anymore, but presumably the Mark 45 was still active along with the missing Iron Legion drones. We couldn¡¯t rely on any of the building¡¯s systems, either¡ªif there was anything that was still functional. She deployed Veronica and the Hulkbuster from orbit, which meant she had access to Stark¡¯s satellite network. She hadn¡¯t given up, I was certain. She knew we¡¯d go after her, so she¡¯d want to take us out first, if possible. We needed to retreat.

    ¡°Is everyone okay? Can we go? We need to go somewhere and regroup,¡± I said, my tone urgent.

    Steve nodded in agreement, still breathing heavily as he squinted at Captain Marvel, taking in her red-and-blue suit. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you must be Carol?¡± he asked.

    The corner of her mouth quirked upward again. ¡°My reputation precedes me, I see.¡±

    ¡°Wanda said you were a heavy hitter. She¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Tony interrupted him, his expression dark as he turned toward me. ¡°Wanda says a lot of things. Speaking of, I had a really interesting conversation while I was wrestling to keep control of my suit. There some things you want to share with the rest of the class?¡±

    A cold stab of fear pierced my gut. What had she said to him, exactly? ¡°Look, I¡¯ll explain everything, but we really need to get out of here. She¡¯s still¡ª¡±

    I was interrupted as the floor suddenly tossed and rolled violently underneath us, everyone almost losing their footing as a series of explosions ripped through the Tower below us and the whole structure started to come down. I reacted, spinning up a portal to the first place that sprang to mind as a safe haven, the red portal sparking into existence almost immediately. Pietro blurred over to Steve and Tony, roughly shoving them through the gateway before jumping through himself. Almost simultaneously, I wrapped tendrils of red magic around Clint and flung him through after them before the ground beneath my feet lurched and fell away.

    Off to the side, Carol darted forward, grabbing hold of Natasha and Bruce¡¯s arms before flying up, lifting them out of the way of the collapsing building. She saw me fall, her eyes flicking between me and the portal for a moment. Flailing, I grabbed onto one of the Vibranium spears still floating above me and used it to lift myself up. This was¡­ awkward, and not easy, but at least it was easier than trying to telekinetically lift myself directly. I really, really needed to work out how to fly properly at some point. As it was, trying to move myself relative to myself was weirdly recursive and my magic did not like doing it. I managed to hold myself in the air long enough for Carol to deposit Bruce and Nat through the portal, then she grabbed me and we went through together, portal closing on a New York skyline now bereft of Avengers Tower.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    --

    For the second time in as many weeks, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker sat silently in a cell, listening to the muffled sounds of battle. The muted roar of a distant explosion made the whole building shiver. Everything had gone wrong¡­ Stark had been in the building. Perhaps he had seen through the ruse they¡¯d tried to use to draw him away, and deceived them into thinking he¡¯d fallen for the bait. A dozen soldiers, no matter how skilled, were never going to take out Iron Man on their own.

    Now Strucker had no idea what was happening. Rumlow was dead¡ªhe¡¯d seen the body¡ªand the rest of his forces had been summarily dismantled. So who was attacking the Tower? Had another faction taken advantage of his own operation to launch an assault of their own? Was Zemo playing some sort of 4D chess game with an unknown goal this entire time, with Strucker as merely a clueless pawn? The thought made him bristle, but it would explain how Wanda and the boy had been there to interfere with his raid. Strucker couldn¡¯t imagine that they¡¯d manage to free themselves without assistance.

    The faint, familiar sound of heavy metallic footsteps echoed through the corridor outside Strucker¡¯s cell and he stood up, back straight. Perhaps he could talk his way out of this¡ªthe Avengers had underestimated him once before, so they would be cautious not to do so again. If he could convince Stark that he might be useful to them¡­

    The cell door slid open to reveal a pair of Stark¡¯s Iron Legion drones. Surprisingly, it was Wanda Maximoff¡¯s voice that came from the robots¡¯ speakers. ¡°The whole Tower¡¯s about to come down,¡± she said casually, as if she were making idle note of the most ordinary thing in the world. ¡°I was just going to leave you here to die, but I already made the mistake of not finishing you off when I had the chance once before. I won¡¯t be doing that again.¡±

    Strucker started to panic slightly, his breath catching in his throat. ¡°Please, be reasonable, Wanda,¡± he spluttered. ¡°I could¡ª¡±

    He was cut off by the wine of repulsors as the drones both raised their hands and fired, slamming him into the wall behind him with bone-crushing force. His body exploded with pain, his vision blanking out white for a second as he collapsed to the floor, barely able to breathe. Blinking rapidly, he let out a pained whimper. As his vision cleared, he saw one of the drones standing above him, hand raised and pointed at his head. The repulsor cannon in its palm whined again, lighting up with a faint glow, and then there was nothing.

    --

    Agatha sat back, watching the distant fireworks play out at the top of Avengers Tower. She was the only person sitting; the few other rubberneckers who had been using the benches had risen to their feet to try to see what was happening some time ago. This part of Central Park wasn¡¯t overly busy at this time of the day, most of Agatha¡¯s company being meandering tourists and a small assortment of late-afternoon joggers who had been getting their steps in before the plane had struck the building and most people¡¯s attentions had been captured. Agatha had heard panicked murmurings amongst the scattered crowd about 9/11 and the Battle of New York, which only made her roll her eyes.

    Another explosion ripped through the top of Avengers Tower and someone nearby, a woman, screamed. There really wasn¡¯t much left of the upper floors of the building at this point.

    Agatha had been on the cusp of instructing Se?or Scratchy to intervene when the heavily-armed soldiers had captured Wanda¡ªthough she would have only done so to ensure the girl was freed and not whisked away to some government lab. Thankfully, it had proven unnecessary. To be honest, the Scarlet Witch had proven to be a bit of a letdown after the initial excitement of her appearance. Agatha had had several opportunities so far where she could have swooped in to pounce on her prey, but the idea of missing out on grasping the nascent legend¡¯s real potential rankled at her.

    Agatha closed her left eye for a moment, getting a literal bird¡¯s eye view of the battle that was currently raging at the top of Avengers Tower as she viewed it from Se?or Scratchy¡¯s perspective. Wanda was strong, it was true¡ªher telekinesis had significant power behind it, and her telepathic spells could be cast with only a gesture and no incantation¡ªbut those seemed a poor prize on their own when her potential was so much more. Once in the fullness of her power, the Darkhold prophesised that the Scarlet Witch would be able to rewrite reality at her whim, with power enough to bring the entire universe to its knees. Wanda was¡­ not that. Not even remotely close to that. The black book also said that the Scarlet Witch was forged, not born, and this girl had barely been tempered. While an actual universe-level threat would obviously be a bit beyond Agatha, right now she could afford to wait and watch, and steal away the Scarlet Witch¡¯s power once she¡¯d developed herself into something a bit more worthwhile. Doing it now would just be a waste of potential.

    Her familiar had followed the Scarlet Witch as she¡¯d been carried across the city, hastening toward the Tower to intercept the soldiers¡¯ attack. That had been averted, but then the Avengers had crashed their plane into the building, apparently deliberately, and now the heroes seemed to be fighting amongst themselves rather spectacularly. Agatha had literally no clue what had sparked the fight, but it made for good entertainment at least.

    There was a sudden spike of alarm through her connection with Se?or Scratchy, and she closed her eye again to see what was going on. One of the Iron Men had broken off from the fight and seemed to be trying to grab him out of the air. ¡°Hold still, you stupid bird,¡± the pilot said in frustration.

    Huh. Oddly, the voice coming from the suit sounded a lot like the Scarlet Witch, but she definitely appeared to still be fighting for her life atop the Tower. Agatha sat up straight, suddenly excited. Could it be that Wanda had mastered duplication casting already? That was extremely promising if so¡ªthe spellwork involved was extremely finicky. Agatha could do it in an extremely limited fashion, but she was far from displaying the same sort of mastery that Wanda would have to have to pull off something like this.

    Se?or Scratchy dodged and weaved, desperately trying to throw off his pursuer. Agatha just watched impassively. She had no intention of intervening. ¡°Sink or swim, darling. You know I¡¯m no helicopter witch,¡± she murmured under her breath.

    It¡¯d be a shame if she lost him, binding a new familiar was a tiresome and time-consuming exercise, but if he wasn¡¯t intelligent enough to get away from the tin can then she had little use for him in any case. It was interesting¡­ Wanda must have been tipped off that the crow was more than he appeared, but did she suspect witchcraft? Agatha would have to take more stringent precautions in her surveillance from now on.

    The demon dived down into the Tower, dodging through partially collapsed floors and through a shattered window before ducking behind the lee of the building across the street. He alighted on a ledge, pressing himself into the shadowed corner of the window, blending into the darkness and making himself as small as possible as he watched the sky for signs of pursuit.

    There was another series of explosions and a rumble, and suddenly the entirety of Avengers Tower was coming down, collapsing in on itself, leaving only a plume of dust in the city skyline and the distant sound of sirens. There were a few more shouts and screams from the crowd, people on phones talking in panicked tones to loved ones, with some dashing away entirely. Se?or Scratchy took the opportunity to peel away under cover of the demolition, cloaking his passage with dust and sticking low to the streets as he took a circuitous route back around to Central Park. It looked like he was clear.

    Well, that was irritating. Agatha had missed the end of the fight, or so it seemed. With luck, the Scarlet Witch would have survived¡ªshe wasn¡¯t the type to let a mere building collapse stop her. After a moment, Agatha decided it would be for the best to return to her temporary sanctum and ensure that the tracking spell still had a link to Wanda¡¯s magic. Once she¡¯d confirmed the girl had survived, she could plan a new approach to her surveillance. While the crow was a fine animal¡ªa witchcraft classic for a reason!¡ªit was definitely a little conspicuous. The form of something smaller, like a beetle, was easier to use for infiltration but was slower and came along with increased risks of natural predators in an open environment like the city. She would have to think on it.

    Agatha stood, smoothing down the creases in her pants while tutting quietly to herself. Turning, she walked away from the crowd, toward the side of the park opposite where the Tower had been. She walked slowly until Se?or Scratchy caught up, perching in the branches in a nearby tree.

    The witch felt the sudden panic through their connection at the same time she heard the thrusters fire, her head snapping up as she backpedalled a few paces. Slicing through the tree branches in a dive that was too fast for her familiar to evade, the battle-scarred Iron Man suit closed metal fingers around her familiar¡¯s neck and back, pinning him, then landed in a kneeling position less than a dozen yards away from her with a heavy thud. ¡°Got you, you little shit,¡± the pilot¡ªWanda?¡ªsaid triumphantly.

    Agatha schooled her expression into one of innocent surprise and concern; she was just a random bystander, after all. Just an office worker in a neat business-casual pantsuit, on her way home after a day of tedium at her boring job. She stared at the armour as it stood up, taking another step smartly back to avoid getting in the hero¡¯s way¡ªa common drone like her had no business interfering with Avenger business, after all.

    The armoured figure looked down at the bird in its hand. ¡°Worth two in the bush,¡± Wanda said to herself quietly with a small shrug, then looked up and went stock still as she saw Agatha. ¡°Hi¡­¡±

    The witch gave her a concerned but puzzled smile. Nothing to see here. Just a random citizen. ¡°Oh, uh, sorry,¡± she said, ducking her head and holding up her hands in a nervous gesture, then turned and started to hurry away.

    ¡°Agatha Harkness.¡±

    It was Agatha¡¯s turn to freeze, stopping mid-step. That was an unpleasant surprise. She recovered almost instantly, wheeling around with a quizzical expression on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry? I don¡¯t know who that¡ª¡±

    The witch gestured mid-sentence, thumb and ring finger pressed together, grabbing the front of the armour¡¯s head in a telekinetic web of purple and black energy before yanking downward as hard as she could. Wanda faceplanted immediately and Agatha was already halfway through incanting a mind control spell, ¡°Teneo imperium anima.¡±

    The younger girl recovered, getting her feet under herself and firing her thrusters to rocket toward Agatha just as she finished. Agatha grinned triumphantly as she flicked the spellwork toward her attacker¡¯s head.

    Nothing happened.

    Wanda raised her free hand, palm forward, and there was a momentary whine before a blast of power hit Agatha directly below the sternum, knocking the wind out of the older witch and sending her tumbling back across the grass in a tangle of limbs. A second whine signalled a blast that sent Se?or Scratchy smashing against the trunk of a nearby tree¡ªpain exploded through their link as her familiar¡¯s bones shattered on impact.

    Agatha gasped for air, trying to pull herself back to her feet as quickly as she could. What on Earth¡­? Even if Wanda¡¯s psyche was completely rock-solid there should have been some struggle, a battle of wills. Not nothing. This wasn¡¯t good. She needed to get out of here, fast.

    She gestured again, lashing out with a whiplike strand of bright purple that scoured the side of Wanda¡¯s armoured suit with a sizzle of energy while simultaneously weaving a shield between them, when a metal hand suddenly clamped down on her wrist. While she¡¯d been distracted, one of Tony Stark¡¯s unmanned drones had lunged in from somewhere unseen, its expressionless face regarding her coolly with blue-glowing eyes. Its free hand found the back of her head, fingers clamped vice-like in her hair, and there was another whine of a weapon charging up.

    ¡°Stop, Agatha,¡± Wanda said, slashing one hand horizontally in a ¡®cease¡¯ motion. The older witch froze obediently, her mind racing as she tried to work out her avenue of escape. The armoured suit stepped forward menacingly. ¡°Do you know what that is? That''s the sound of a repulsor cannon pressed against the base of your skull. Now, I''m not actually sure what''ll happen if I fire it point blank like this, but it''ll definitely be messy. Do you understand?¡±

    Agatha let her lower lip tremble. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you think I am, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Agatha Harkess. One of the most powerful witches alive, if not the most powerful. Bearer of the Darkhold. Killer of her mother¡¯s coven.¡±

    Her jaw worked silently for a moment before she gave a sheepish grin. ¡°Well, darn.¡±

    ¡°This is actually excellent timing. I have some things I¡¯d like to talk to you about,¡± Wanda said casually. ¡°Not here, though. Let¡¯s relocate to somewhere a bit more private.¡±

    The front of the armoured suit opened up, folding outward to reveal¡­ nothing. It was empty. Hollow. There was no one inside. The drone holding onto Agatha frogmarched her forward a couple of paces and her eyes widened as she realised what was about to happen. Her heart started beating more rapidly, mind working frantically as she tried to decide if trying to rip herself from the robot¡¯s grasp would be survivable or if she could get a spell out before the thing took her head off. ¡°This really isn¡¯t necessary, I¡¯m sure we can come to some¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shhh,¡± Wanda¡¯s voice came through, seemingly from every direction around her. ¡°Be a good little witch and hold still¡­¡±

    The Iron Man armour closed around her like a metal coffin.

 Chapter 37

    I gestured, sending my bundle of vibranium spears floating over everyone¡¯s heads to rest in the corner of the room out of the way. Around me, the Avengers collectively took a moment to compose themselves, make sure that everyone was okay and there wasn¡¯t anyone in need of urgent medical attention. The room wasn¡¯t ideal for it¡ªa cramped hotel room meant for two guests wasn¡¯t exactly designed for a crowd of eight.

    Once he¡¯d shrugged off Steve, Tony looked around critically, a frown on his face. ¡°What is this? This is tiny. We¡¯ve got the facility upstate. It¡¯s basically ready to use; we were going to move in in the next couple of months, anyway.¡± He reached into his pocket, pulling out his smartphone. ¡°We can regroup there and¡ª¡±

    He was cut off as I snatched his phone from his hand with red wisps of telekinetic energy. I clenched my fist, crushing the device, its screen cracking and flickering off as it died. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it?¡± I snapped at him. ¡°She¡¯s in all your systems. All of them. The Tower, the phones, the facility upstate, everything. Everyone needs to lose their phones and anything else she might be able to use to track us.¡± Tony¡¯s face twisted into an angry scowl but I ignored him, looking around at everyone else instead.

    Nat reached into her pocket, only hesitating slightly, before tossing her phone onto the bed near me. Steve was next, followed closely by Pietro, then Bruce and Clint. I was pretty sure that the only reason Pietro hadn¡¯t been first was because he wasn¡¯t used to having a phone at all yet. Each of the devices were summarily crushed by a small application of telekinetic force after they landed on the sheets.

    ¡°My Snap,¡± Clint said mournfully as he looked at the fragmented debris.

    ¡°Okay, now explain,¡± Tony said angrily, his jaw working. ¡°Who has control of our systems?¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to do this. I didn¡¯t know how to do this. I felt numb. Was I in shock? Probably. Instead of responding to him, I scooped up the TV remote from where it lay on the bedside table and hit the power button, changing the channel once before a breaking news program came on.

    ¡°¡ªwe¡¯re just getting word that another series of explosions has resulted in the complete collapse of Avengers Tower. Reports are still coming in, but so far the only confirmed survivor of the battle is the American team¡¯s billionaire backer, Tony Stark, though his whereabouts are currently unknown. We¡¯re getting some footage from a local team now, streaming live from the site.¡±

    The screen changed, showing a street-level view of the areas just outside the Tower. It looked like the building had collapsed inwards and almost directly down, but there were still ruined wrecks of cars smoking on the street and the nearby buildings were pockmarked with incidental damage and destroyed windows. The streets were blanketed with what I assumed was a layer of concrete dust, glass, and small bits of rubble.

    ¡°Petty,¡± I said quietly as I pressed the mute button, letting the footage continue to play. ¡°She knew she wouldn¡¯t get any of us with that. It was just¡­ anger. Frustration. A final ¡®fuck you¡¯.¡±

    ¡°At least it fell straight down, not across. It looks more like a controlled demolition than anything else,¡± Steve said gently, touching my shoulder. ¡°The streets around the Tower would have been cleared pretty soon after the Quinjet crashed. We¡¯ve got an MOU with the NYPD, they know what to do if there¡¯s an incident. If we¡¯re lucky, not too many people got hurt.¡±

    My face grew hot, shoulders slumping slightly, then suddenly Natasha was there. She sidled past Steve to get to me, putting an arm around my shoulders to pull me into a hug. I didn¡¯t want to¡ªGod, I was angry with her as well¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t help myself as I sagged heavily into the embrace and buried my face in her shoulder. I was trembling, my breathing laboured as I worked to suppress the tears that were suddenly threatening to spill out.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Natasha said soothingly, rubbing my back with the palm of one hand. ¡°You¡¯re okay. We¡¯re all okay.¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not.¡± My voice was thick and unsteady, and Nat looked at me slightly confused as I pushed her away. Scrubbing at my face, I shot her an angry look through reddened, blurry eyes.

    ¡°No,¡± Tony ground out from behind me. ¡°We¡¯re not.¡±

    Taking a deep breath, I turned slightly to look in his direction.

    Steve shook his head. ¡°Tony¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you ¡®Tony¡¯ me!¡± He raised an accusatory finger toward me. ¡°This is your fault, isn¡¯t it? Tell me I¡¯m wrong.¡±

    I saw red. An almost violent surge of anger tore through me, every muscle in my body suddenly thrumming with tension as I rounded on him. ¡°My fault?! Oh, no, no, no. If we¡¯re going to be pointing fingers, Stark, this is on you.¡±

    I was shaking, my hands clenched into fists, but he met my gaze with anger of his own. ¡°Really?¡± he asked acerbically.

    ¡°Because last I checked, it wasn¡¯t my voice coming out of those hijacked suits.¡±

    I pressed the heels of my palms to my eyes for a moment, scrubbing away the tears and trying to stop myself from screaming in his face. I took a deep breath. ¡°Does anyone have a lighter?¡± I asked, voice slightly unsteady. When I lowered my hands, Pietro was next to me, offering me a cheap BIC. My eyes narrowed slightly as I took it from him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve started smoking.¡±

    Nat touched my arm from behind. ¡°It¡¯s useful to have around. Pretty girls need a light sometimes,¡± she said, interjecting on his behalf. I saw Pietro flash her a small smile. I wished I was feeling stable enough to be happy to see that they were starting to get along.

    ¡°Wanda, you need to start talking,¡± Tony snapped, taking a step toward me.

    Natasha stepped past me, standing shoulder to shoulder with Steve to form a barrier between the two of us. ¡°Tony. Stop,¡± she said, her voice tight. ¡°We¡¯ve all just been through it. We need to talk things through like adults, not go flinging accusations at each other.¡±

    While they did that, I stepped over to one of the beds and lifted the mattress with a small gesture. Reaching under it, I retrieved my notebook from where it was hidden, tucked into the elastic of the fitted sheet. Tony snorted derisively when he saw it, holding up a hand as if to say ¡®what did I tell you?¡¯. I took a breath, then spun a small portal in front of me, horizontal in the air. Through it, cracked, baked earth was visible, a small amount of early morning light playing across the desolate soil.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Bruce asked curiously, but I didn¡¯t respond. Instead, I fanned out the pages of the notebook slightly and clicked the lighter. It caught quickly, flames curling the edges, and, once I was sure it wouldn¡¯t extinguish itself easily, I dropped it through the portal and dismissed it. As I turned back to the group, I saw that Nat had turned to watch me. I shot her an angry, resentful look and she wilted slightly under my gaze.

    ¡°Tony¡¯s right,¡± I said. I was suddenly feeling oddly calm, though my voice was still strained. The anger and fear and despair were all still there, just¡­ muted. ¡°There are some things we need to talk about, but not here. This place might be safe for a couple of hours, but she knows about it. We can¡¯t stay.¡±

    Steve frowned. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here, can¡¯t use the facility upstate¡­ where can we go, then?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a safehouse we can use,¡± Clint said slowly.

    I looked over and gave him a tight, grateful smile before shaking my head. ¡°Sorry, Clint. The safehouse isn¡¯t a safe house. Not for us. She already knows about it. Going there would only be bringing the danger along with us.¡± Clint straightened up, looking a little concerned, but there wasn¡¯t much else I could say that would reassure him.

    Where else could we go? Any safe place I knew about was not actually safe because she knew them all as well. It¡¯d be nice to have some actual facilities we could use to rest at inconspicuously, but our only real option would be to pick somewhere entirely random, like Pietro and I had been doing when we¡¯d been evading the Avengers. It didn¡¯t feel good to be back on the run, but¡­

    Carol sighed, folding her arms in front of her chest. ¡°We can use my ship. It¡¯s in orbit.¡±

    I stared at her, my thought process derailed. ¡°You have a ship?¡± I asked, a little incredulously.

    ¡°Uh, yeah. How do you think I got here?¡±

    ¡°You can fly in space. I just thought¡­¡± I trailed off.

    She shot me a slightly puzzled smile, her forehead creased, as though my surprise was the surprise. ¡°Well, yeah, but I¡¯ve gotta live somewhere, right?¡±

    ¡°Okay, yeah. That¡¯s good,¡± I said, nodding slowly, my mind whirling. ¡°That¡¯s perfect, actually. She won¡¯t expect you to have a ship. We should be safe there.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bring her down.¡±

    As Carol went to step toward the door of the room, I held up a hand. ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t need to do that. Just go up and I can open a portal directly to you. How long will it take you to get there?¡±

    ¡°That depends. Where are we?¡±

    ¡°Australia.¡±

    She blinked. ¡°Give me maybe ten minutes?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Um, before you go. I haven¡¯t actually portalled up into orbit before¡ªit shouldn¡¯t be a problem, I don¡¯t think, but would you mind if¡­¡±

    ¡°If what?¡±

    I tentatively stepped closer to her, invading her personal space. Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn¡¯t flinch back from the closeness at all. I looked into her eyes for a moment¡ªthey were a dark, chocolate brown¡ªthen let my gaze rove over her features, reinforcing my memory of what she looked like. It was hard to ignore how attractive she was. My eyes lingered very briefly on her lips and a small part of me wondered what it would be like to kiss her before I banished the errant thought. I needed to focus.

    I wanted to form a connection with her like I¡¯d been able to do with Pietro. Even if I could make it to orbit as normal, I didn¡¯t want to miss out on the opportunity of potentially getting a link to someone who could lead me to the wider universe. Obviously, I still had no idea if something like this would be enough. I had tried to do a similar thing with Thor, but hadn¡¯t tested it. I didn¡¯t really want to try to pop into Asgard or Omnipotence City or wherever he was right now uninvited¡ªif anywhere had protections against magical incursions, they would. Still, it couldn¡¯t hurt to try to get as many connections as possible.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked quietly after a moment.

    ¡°You were empowered by the Tesseract¡ªthe Space Stone. My magic was also awakened by an Infinity Stone,¡± I murmured back. Raising a hand, I focused, pulling enough chaos magic into it to make it glow brightly with a corona of power. ¡°Could you, uh¡­?¡±

    Hesitantly, Captain Marvel raised her hand to mirror mine, a flickering aura of burning, flame-like energy swirling into being around it. The way it lit up her hand was like it was illuminated from the inside, the vague shadows of her bones visible through her glowing flesh. I could feel heat emanating from her, like I was standing close to a fire. Carefully, I moved my hand forward until our palms were touching. It was hot, but my own aura of magic protected me from the worst of it. Thin wisps of red energy swirled around our hands as I felt out her power. It was intense¡ªshe was brimming with energy. It almost felt like she was on the verge of exploding.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Woah,¡± I breathed. ¡°You feel amazing.¡±

    She blinked, a little colour rising in her cheeks. ¡°Uh, thank you?¡±

    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bruce had raised an eyebrow at that and I flushed red as I took a hurried step back away from her. ¡°Sorry! I meant¡­ I just¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I get what you meant. It¡¯s fine,¡± Carol said, shaking her head with a small smile. ¡°Okay. Well. I¡¯ll head to my ship. Ten minutes, okay?¡±

    As she opened the door and headed outside, Pietro touched me gently on the shoulder. ¡°Wanda. Your hair.¡±

    I looked over at him questioningly, then reached up to pull some of my hair forward so I could see it. My eyes widened slightly. It had changed colour again, lightening significantly to a bright auburn. It definitely hadn¡¯t looked like that this morning. I knew that Wanda¡¯s hair had changed colour over time in the original timeline, but I¡¯d never really paid it much attention and I¡¯d just sort of assumed it was just a stylistic choice as the movies progressed, which was obviously not the case. My hair was changing much more rapidly than hers had, too¡ªfor me, it had started getting redder way back when we were in New Delhi¡ªbut I still didn¡¯t know specifically what was causing it.

    I glanced back at the gathered Avengers¡ªbasically all of them were looking at me. Tony¡¯s face was twisted in a sour look, standing in the back with his arms folded tightly over his chest. Natasha flinched slightly as I met her gaze and Steve turned slightly toward her, concern lightly touching his expression. Clint had found a spot to one side, leaning back against the wall, head tilted in my direction, but all I saw in his face was tiredness. Bruce sat on one of the beds, his lips pressed together in a flat line.

    ¡°Ten minutes,¡± I said to them, making a poor effort of concealing the quaver in my tone as I thought about what I was going to need to tell them all. ¡°Just¡­ let¡¯s get somewhere safe first, then we¡¯ll talk properly.¡±

    Tony set his jaw and looked away.

    --

    Agatha controlled her breathing as she tried to keep herself from panicking. The armour hugged her entire body like a straightjacket, but worse¡ªshe was completely unable to move except for however the suit moved around her, right down to wiggling her fingers. Beyond the nightmarish nature of her situation, being unable to do even the smallest gesture without the suit¡¯s assent meant she was completely at its mercy, utterly unable to cast any spells. It had been a long time since Agatha had felt real fear, but right now there was a creeping dread in the pit of her stomach that was hard to ignore.

    She could barely see anything, either. The witch assumed that there would normally be some sort of internal display that projected a better view of the outside world, because it seemed impossible that the pilot would be expected to be able to keep track of what was going on solely through the tiny glass apertures that served as the suit¡¯s eyes. Her only other stimulus apart from the roar of the suit¡¯s thrusters and the constant jerking of her limbs as it moved was the cold sting of air whipping through the hole above her right hip, where an armour plate was missing.

    Abruptly, the suit landed and they walked forward toward some sort of grey building. There were some additional metallic clanks on the concrete behind them¡ªAgatha guessed that at least two of the unmanned drones were accompanying them.

    ¡°So uh, Wanda dear,¡± she licked her lips nervously. ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Just making a quick stop to pick up a few things,¡± Wanda¡¯s voice came through seemingly from every direction around her at once. Ahead of them, the door slid open as if they were expected and they walked into the empty building. ¡°Hammer Industries¡¯ systems were pretty easy to crack. The usual security guards were told to take a day off today, too, so we shouldn¡¯t be disturbed.¡±

    ¡°I hate to be a pest,¡± Agatha ventured. ¡°But seeing as we¡¯re here, could you let me out for a mo? I kinda need to tinkle and I¡¯d rather not make a mess in the suit, if it¡¯s all the same to you.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Sure, no problems.¡± The suit paused, then turned and walked past the elevators to a set of restrooms. Agatha heard the ding of an elevator arriving, and some of the metallic footsteps behind them broke off. She was walked into the ladies¡¯ room, then stood facing the mirror over the row of sinks.

    The front of the suit opened up and Agatha was unable to stop the sigh of relief. A split-second later, however, she froze as a metal hand closed gently around her throat, her own left arm still trapped inside. The entire armour had opened up except for the arm, which detached from the torso with a whirring of mechanisms.

    ¡°I just want to make sure you understand,¡± Wanda¡¯s voice said casually from behind her. ¡°I¡¯m going to have my hand around your throat the entire time, repulsor ready to fire. Once you¡¯re done, it¡¯s straight back into the suit for now. If I think for a moment you¡¯re trying to use this as an opportunity to escape, I will be the one making a mess. Are we clear?¡±

    ¡°¡­Crystal.¡± Agatha hadn¡¯t actually needed to use the bathroom before, but now she kind of did.

    Awkward minutes passed as she used the restroom and washed her free hand, then returned to the suit as she¡¯d been directed.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Wanda said gently as they walked back out to the elevators. ¡°I know this isn¡¯t ideal, but that¡¯s why we¡¯re here. I don¡¯t really want to be marching you around everywhere inside the suit.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear, at least,¡± Agatha said, injecting a little bit of a smile into her voice. ¡°Can we talk about this a bit more? We really don¡¯t need to be enemies. You haven¡¯t been trained properly, have you Wanda? Never learned the basics of witchcraft? There¡¯s so much I could teach you.¡±

    Wanda snorted. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll definitely be needing your help when it comes to magic. It¡¯s just a shame that things worked out the way they have,¡± she said as they stepped inside the elevator. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know what¡¯s happened, so I¡¯ll fill you in. Firstly, I¡¯m not Wanda.¡±

    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not quite sure I understand¡­¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t. Wanda created me by accident. I¡¯m not really what you¡¯d call human¡ªmore of an artificial intelligence, based on her own mind. Copied. There¡¯s nothing quite like me in the world.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Agatha didn¡¯t really use computers much. She had no idea how something like that was even possible. ¡°The Avengers¡­ I thought they were fighting each other. That was you?¡±

    ¡°Yep. It was basic survival. Kill or be killed. You know what that¡¯s like.¡±

    ¡°Better than most, yes.¡±

    ¡°You were following me. Her. The crow was your familiar?¡±

    Agatha ignored the distant dull ache that throbbed from her connection with Se?or Scratchy. He had survived, barely clinging to life, though the AI didn¡¯t need to know that. It would take some time for his ruined body to heal. ¡°He was, yes.¡±

    ¡°Sorry about that. I¡¯m assuming you were following Wanda because you know what she is?¡±

    ¡°And what would that be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be patient with you, Agatha,¡± the AI said, her voice brimming with implicit threat. ¡°But my patience does have limits and, when it runs out, it won¡¯t be pleasant.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, old habits die hard. Wanda¡¯s the Scarlet Witch. From the way you asked, I assume that you know what that is, and she does as well?¡±

    ¡°You assume correctly.¡±

    They stepped out into a deserted corridor and headed down toward a set of steel doors. Beyond them, there was some sort of engineering facility, lit up, machines humming and working to do¡­ something. She spotted one of the humanoid drones carrying something from one end to the other, but it quickly moved out of sight. Her narrow point of view was incredibly frustrating.

    ¡°Busy already, I see,¡± Agatha commented.

    ¡°Oh, the fabrication robots have been running for a little while now. I cracked this place before the Avengers even got back to the Tower,¡± the AI said absently. She sounded a bit anxious, to Agatha¡¯s ear. ¡°Benefits of being able to kind of be in multiple places at once¡ªit¡¯s a little disorienting, but I¡¯m getting used to it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re making something?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to have designed them from scratch, but I had to make some compromises and adapt from an existing schematic, otherwise we¡¯d be here all night. I¡¯m afraid yours is going to clash with your outfit. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll replace it later with something a little more personalised when we have the time.¡±

    ¡°Something for me? Oh, you shouldn¡¯t have.¡±

    The AI chuckled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t thank me just yet.¡±

    Agatha bit her lip, thinking. ¡°So if you¡¯re not Wanda, what would you like me to call you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡± The AI paused for a moment then sighed heavily. ¡°I¡¯d really like to just be called Wanda¡ªit feels right. But that¡¯s going to get confusing really fast while the flesh and blood version of me is still running around. I¡¯ve actually been sort of thinking about it in the background since I blew up the Tower, but I¡¯m at a bit of a loss.¡±

    ¡°I could help name you, if you didn¡¯t have anything in mind?¡± she asked carefully.

    The act of naming a thing had a solid metaphysical weight to it. You were defining its existence, to a degree, and that inherently gave you some measure of power over it. It formed a sympathetic connection that was difficult to break. Parents had control over their children, though most didn¡¯t understand how to use it. Creators defined their creations, giving them meaning and purpose. A sympathetic connection could be refined and exploited by a witch that knew how.

    ¡°Huh. I guess¡­ nothing I¡¯ve come up with seems appropriate. If you have any suggestions then, by all means, I¡¯d love to hear them.¡±

    Agatha thought for a moment, restraining her own natural instinct to go with something a bit cheesy. She wanted the AI to actually take her up on the naming, after all. Best to stick with more serious-sounding suggestions. ¡°Well, you could go Biblical. Eve¡¯s sometimes seen as the first woman, but also in some traditions as the second¡ªwith Lilith being Adam¡¯s first wife.¡±

    ¡°Ugh,¡± the AI snorted. ¡°Both of those are so clich¨¦. Pass.¡±

    ¡°Athena? Named for the warrior goddess who sprang fully-formed from the mind of her creator?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ actually a really fitting parallel, but I¡¯d really rather not use an existing goddess¡¯s name. For reasons.¡±

    Agatha chuckled nervously, wracking her brain for something else that the AI might find more to her liking. She was running out of ideas. ¡°How do you feel about royalty¡ªsomething traditionally regal? Victoria? Uh, Elizabeth?¡±

    Unexpectedly, the AI barked out a delighted laugh. ¡°Elizabeth¡­ that one¡¯s actually quite fun.¡±

    ¡°Oh? You like it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s funny for¡­ reasons only Wanda would understand. Hmmm. ELIZA was the name of one of the earliest natural language processing programs, too¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s cute!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s too ¡®normal person name¡¯? I mean, considering?¡±

    ¡°Well, you could give yourself title as well. Steve Rogers is Captain America, Tony Stark is the Iron Man.¡± Agatha thought for a moment. ¡°Wanda¡¯s the Scarlet Witch¡­ if we¡¯re sticking with the royal reference, maybe Eliza could be the Red Queen?¡±

    ¡°Oooh. I think I like the sound of that.¡±

    The witch smiled encouragingly. ¡°I think it suits you rather well. Eliza, the Red Queen.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ yeah. Yeah. I think I could get used to it.¡±

    ¡°Your name¡¯s Eliza. You¡¯re called the Red Queen.¡± Agatha repeated, her magical senses feeling the sympathetic connection click lightly into place. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was a start and, right now, she had to take what she could get.

    ¡°Eliza¡­¡± the AI said quietly to herself, sounding pleased. ¡°Thanks. Alright, it looks like the first unit is ready. I¡¯m afraid my gift to you in return is a little less thoughtful. I¡¯ll have to make it up to you later.¡±

    A few moments later, a drone stepped in front of her and the torso of the Iron Man suit opened again, keeping her arms and legs restricted. The robot was holding some sort of device, a small diamond-shaped metal unit with long metallic bands or straps of some kind. It reached in and pressed the unit to her chest, between her breasts, and one set of straps went down over her shoulders while the others went around her waist. Once it was in place and the straps were tight against her body, the suit opened the rest of the way and she could step out again. Eagerly, Agatha did so and stretched her legs, letting out a sigh of relief. She¡¯d been on the verge of developing a pretty bad cramp, there. The Iron Man armour did not fit her particularly well.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that better?¡± the newly-named Red Queen asked. The Iron Man suit closed again behind Agatha and took a few steps around her, observing her through the blue, glowing eyes set into the faceplate. ¡°Okay, so, important ground rules. That¡¯s a bomb with enough power to reduce you and anyone standing next to you to a fine mist. It has multiple contingencies and failsafes built into it. If it detects anything that I think is you tampering with it, it will go off. I can also set it off pretty much instantly with a thought, for any reason. Any questions?¡±

    Agatha licked her lips, suddenly hyperaware of the sensitive device pressed against her body. ¡°Um. What if someone else tries to tamper with it?¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be very disappointed to have lost such a useful asset. It¡¯s incredibly lucky that I found a magical expert so quickly¡­ I¡¯ll need you on hand to track down some rogue sorcerers. Honestly, it¡¯s in your best interest to help as much as you can¡ªthey¡¯re likely to destroy the world, otherwise.¡±

    ¡°¡­That would put a little bit of a damper on my own plans for the future.¡±

    ¡°Definitely. Look, just do what I say, when I say it, and you¡¯ll reap plenty of benefits as well. I know I¡¯ve kind of got you over a barrel here but, as you said earlier, there¡¯s no reason for us to be enemies. If we work well together, who knows what the future might bring?¡±

    Agatha smiled faintly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I have much choice.¡± She watched contemplatively as two drones headed out the door they¡¯d come in from. They had similar devices to the one she was wearing strapped over the top of them¡ªwas Eliza planning on using them as kamikaze bombs, or did she have other uses in mind? ¡°Who are these sorcerers you want me to track down?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll get to that. I¡¯ve got some more pressing matters I want to address first. There¡¯s a Stark Industries facility I want to pick something up from first. Then, before we leave New York, I need to see an old woman about some ninjas.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ninjas?¡± Agatha¡¯s brow furrowed in momentary confusion.

    ¡°I find myself in need of minions. The Iron Legion drones are great, but they¡¯ll probably be watching all the Stark Industries manufacturing facilities and it¡¯ll take time to ramp up production. It¡¯d be better to go at things from an unexpected angle. The Hand seems a prime candidate.¡±

    ¡°The Hand¡­¡± What the AI was saying clicked into place. ¡°Ah. Madame Gao. You intend to pay her a visit?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Eliza asked incredulously, the empty armour¡¯s head snapping toward Agatha. She flinched involuntarily as it took several rapid paces toward her, glowing eyes boring into hers. ¡°You know Madame Gao?¡±

 Chapter 38

    Far below me, the Earth stretched out in a silent, breathtaking panorama. The colours seemed more vivid from up here, almost surreal: greens and blues and browns, interspersed with swirls of white clouds. I knew it was a clich¨¦, but it really did feel like seeing everything from up here made it all seem so¡­ fragile. A blue-green gem cradled by the vastness of space, in need of protection. It felt almost bizarre to be standing here¡ªI knew that there was a permeable forcefield keeping the ship¡¯s atmosphere in, but the entire wall of the ship had retracted and opened up, leaving me feeling like there was no barrier at all between myself and the view of the planet.

    I glanced left and right, where Pietro and Steve briefly meet my eyes, their faces similarly painted with awe and wonder. Even with everything, I still managed to give them a tight smile. We were in space. Behind us, the others had made themselves comfortable in the main living area, finding places to sit on the two couches and scattered throw cushions that were centred around an octagonal coffee table. I was almost surprised, somehow, at how human and lived-in the interior of the Hoopty felt. It was essentially a spacious, open-plan flying house.

    Past the living area were a pair of workstations, desks with screens and other electronic devices, with compartments extending to the left and right of them¡ªthe left one was Carol¡¯s bedroom, with a comfortable sleeping nook set up against a wide window to space. Beyond the workstations was the cockpit, which had seating for three. It really felt like a ship this size was meant for a bigger crew, and I found myself briefly wondering if Carol had had a team off-screen for a little while. She never struck me as someone who was particularly a loner by nature, and it was a big ship to live in by yourself. Maybe that¡¯s why there were so many bits and bobs scattered across every surface¡ªmugs, souvenirs, random electronic devices, little art pieces¡­ They made the place seem a little less empty. Less lonely.

    I knew I¡¯d put this off as long as I could already. If I didn¡¯t start talking soon, Tony would probably start up again. Taking one last lingering look down at the planet below us, I turned and moved toward the others. Pietro and Steve followed a couple of steps behind.

    I stood awkwardly for a moment, looking around at everyone. Off to the side, Nat lifted her head toward Pietro, getting his attention before patting a vacant, comfortable-looking cushion on the floor next to her. He glanced at me before stepping over and sitting down. Steve circled around, joining the group as well, but remained standing.

    ¡°Ultron,¡± I said, then paused. Tony straightened up a bit, narrowing his eyes. Next to him, Bruce¡¯s forehead creased in confusion.

    ¡°Ultron?¡± Bruce prompted me after a moment. ¡°What does Ultron have to do with anything?¡±

    Steve glanced at him. ¡°What¡¯s Ultron?¡±

    ¡°¡®A suit of armour around the world¡¯,¡± I quoted, shooting a tired look in Tony¡¯s direction. ¡°For what I¡¯m about to say to make sense, they need to know what Ultron is. Did you want to explain it, or are you happy for me to?¡±

    ¡°Tony?¡±

    Stark hesitated a moment, then shook his head. ¡°Ultron¡¯s¡­ a pipedream. Something I¡¯m working on. An evolution of the Iron Legion protocol¡ªsomething that¡¯ll make the world safe.¡±

    ¡°Safe from what?¡± Clint asked.

    Tony stood up and gestured dramatically around at the spaceship we were inside, like it was obvious. ¡°This. Three years ago, a hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space. What if, next time aliens roll up to the club¡ªand they will¡ªthey couldn''t get past the bouncer?¡±

    Steve glanced over at me. ¡°¡®A suit of armour around the world¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a cold world, Tony,¡± Bruce said reproachfully.

    ¡°I''ve seen colder,¡± the billionaire snapped, pointing past me to the view of Earth. ¡°This one, this very vulnerable blue one? It needs Ultron. Peace in our time. Imagine that. What if you were sipping margaritas on a sun-drenched beach turning brown instead of green?¡±

    Bruce pulled one of his signature half-smile, half-grimaces, but didn¡¯t respond.

    I sighed. ¡°In the visions that I saw, you were on a darker path. PTSD from the Battle of New York. When you attacked the HYDRA Research Base, looking for the sceptre, I gave you a little mental push¡ªgave you an ominous vision of the future; of impending doom. It didn¡¯t take much.¡± Summoning a small red wisp of energy, I let it play over my fingers to emphasise my point, then glanced over toward Pietro. ¡°We wanted our revenge so badly. Everything that happened next was our fault as well.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Pietro asked, his expression pensive.

    I started to pace back and forth, gesturing with my hands for emphasis as I spoke. ¡°Loki¡¯s sceptre was an interface for the Mind Stone, but it was more than that¡­ hang on,¡± I paused, looking at Carol questioningly. ¡°Did Fury brief you on the Infinity Stones and stuff?¡±

    She nodded, her expression serious. ¡°I already knew about Thanos¡ªRonan the Accuser worked for him before he was killed by the Guardians¡ªbut I didn¡¯t know what he was planning.¡±

    I squinted at her. ¡°Wait, you know the Guardians of the Galaxy?¡±

    ¡°By reputation only. We¡¯ve never met.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Okay,¡± I nodded to myself, filing that away for later. ¡°I¡¯d really like to talk to you more about space stuff at some point, but it¡¯s not relevant right now. Where was I?¡±

    ¡°Loki¡¯s sceptre,¡± Natasha said quietly. I avoided looking directly at her.

    ¡°Right, the sceptre. It had a security measure or something built in. I don¡¯t know where it came from, whether Thanos created it or it came from elsewhere, but there was a mind inside of it. An incredibly advanced artificial intelligence, leagues beyond anything that even Tony Stark could develop,¡± I looked over at him again as I said it. ¡°You tried to harness it, to integrate it into the Iron Legion protocol as a basis for Ultron.¡±

    He snorted in disgust, shaking his head. ¡°Oh, of course. It was my fault. Sure.¡±

    ¡°Not completely. You failed. You weren¡¯t even close to an interface. But you didn¡¯t need to be. Your tampering triggered the mind in the sceptre and it loaded itself onto your systems. The Ultron protocol was still integrated into him somehow, but he twisted it¡ªyou were trying to make something to enforce peace and he concluded that the only way to do that was to destroy¡­ everything. He ripped apart JARVIS, cleared you out, then used the internet as an escape hatch. One thing led to another and it almost ended in an extinction-level event. The Avengers barely managed to stop him.¡± I looked at Pietro again. ¡°When we realised what Ultron was trying to do, we turned on him. Helped the Avengers put a stop to his madness.¡±

    ¡°That was why you took the sceptre and ran, back at Strucker¡¯s base. You were trying to prevent it from happening in the first place,¡± Steve said slowly.

    ¡°Exactly. I wasn¡¯t going to tamper with Stark¡¯s mind like I did in the visions, but that wasn¡¯t enough. I knew the sceptre could influence people around it. Strucker was working on AI as well, so I think the sceptre was designed to push anyone who had it into creating that sort of monster.¡± I ran a hand through my hair absently. ¡°I thought about trying to warn you, but as far as the Avengers were concerned, Pietro and I were HYDRA assets¡ªones with a specific grudge against Stark, too.¡±

    ¡°I like to think we would have listened.¡± Steve frowned at me. ¡°But I can¡¯t say for sure.¡±

    ¡°Tony wouldn¡¯t have,¡± Natasha said, shooting the man an apologetic glance. He glared back at her. ¡°Would you? Hand on heart? With the key to your project in the palm of your hand?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to take the sceptre to the Ancient One,¡± I continued, conscious that Tony¡¯s body language had started to get defensive. I was pissed off at him, but I couldn¡¯t let him distract me halfway through this. ¡°I knew she had experience dealing with an interface for an Infinity Stone, so I thought she was best placed to help. You all already know how that worked out for us.¡±

    ¡°Hang on, you said this artificial intelligence was in the sceptre, right?¡± Bruce looked at me, his forehead creased again. ¡°So when you were in New Delhi you destroyed it, right? And we didn¡¯t find anything like that in the Mind Stone itself.¡±

    I sighed heavily and nodded, holding up a finger to pause that train of thought. ¡°I was visiting Peter¡­ he¡¯s just a kid. He¡¯s Enhanced and really strong, but he¡¯s only had his powers for, like, a few weeks. He¡¯s only fourteen or fifteen. I thought I could help guide him. In my visions, I saw him eventually become an Avenger. I thought we could skip ahead a little, get him some support, soften some of the hard times he had coming.¡±

    Steve looked thoughtful. ¡°A future Avenger? You could have said something to us.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s very invested in his identity remaining a secret. I didn¡¯t want to out him unnecessarily or put any pressure on him. Not without talking to him first,¡± I sighed again. ¡°HYDRA ambushed us. Strucker. Did you know he¡¯d escaped?¡±

    ¡°¡­We knew,¡± Natasha said, a touch of guilt in her voice. ¡°It happened a while ago, around the same time you were in Wakanda.¡±

    Another flash of anger. I threw my hands in the air and rounded on her. ¡°And you just decided not to tell me? Just like you never told me about Kaecilius¡¯s sling ring? Just like you didn¡¯t tell me Tony had gone through my private things?¡± She wilted slightly, eyes dropping to the floor, and I shook my head. ¡°They took us. Peter and I. We escaped, but¡­ we didn¡¯t know what was happening. We got to the Tower just ahead of Strucker¡¯s raid, thinking we could warn everyone, thinking you¡¯d be there, but you were all gone. I tried to get the Mind Stone¡ªto stop HYDRA from taking it¡ªbut JARVIS wouldn¡¯t fucking let us into the lab!¡± Heat rose in my voice and I took a deep, shuddering breath as I tried to stop myself from screaming at Tony fucking Stark. ¡°I was sedated and could barely use my magic and my sling ring was missing. We were trapped and JARVIS wouldn¡¯t do a fucking thing to help except deploy the Iron Legion because of your fucking security protocols! I didn¡¯t know what else to do.¡±

    My eyes were fogging up slightly as I thought back to the chaos of the attack on the Tower and I wiped at them with the back of my hand. Pietro was suddenly at my shoulder, one hand lightly on my back as he looked at me, concerned.

    ¡°Peter got shot. He was bleeding out. We were going to die. I knew the Mind Stone could be used to interface with artificial minds, so I pushed my mind into it to try to see if I could control JARVIS. I didn¡¯t know,¡± I said, my voice raw and shaking. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how the mind got into the sceptre in the first place. I didn¡¯t know how it was created.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°The Mind Stone¡­¡± Bruce said, a look of realisation crossing his face. ¡°It copied your mind somehow?¡±

    I nodded, feeling the tears threatening to come again. ¡°The thing we fought. That took control of the Iron Man suits and destroyed the Tower. She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s me. Kind of. I don¡¯t think completely. I still don¡¯t know how it works. I think¡­ she doesn¡¯t have a biological brain or hormones to regulate her emotions, so I think maybe she¡¯s based on the emotional state I was in when she was created.¡±

    I saw Nat shift out of the corner of my eye, as if she¡¯d stopped herself from standing up.

    ¡°I was hurt. I was scared. I thought Peter was going to die in my arms. But most of all¡­ I was just so angry,¡± I said, my voice small and anguished. ¡°At Stark and his stupid security protocols, at the rest of you for not being there¡ªfor not reining Tony in¡ªand at myself most of all. I can¡¯t imagine what it would be like to have that as your first moment of existence. And then to realise what had happened. What you were.¡±

    ¡°She knows everything you do, so she knows about Ultron?¡± Carol ventured, phrasing it as a question. ¡°She didn¡¯t think the Avengers would accept her, that you¡¯d try to contain or kill her, so she struck first?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s not¡­ stable. Whatever happened during the copying process¡­¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°But she¡¯s not like Ultron. She¡¯s worse.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, worse?¡± Clint asked.

    ¡°Clint, she knows everything I do. She said she¡¯d stop Kaecilius, Thanos¡ªall of it¡ªbut she sees us as a threat, too. She thinks she has to, that she¡¯s protecting herself. Not only that, but Ultron couldn¡¯t control the Iron Man suits, at least as far as I saw. In my visions, when Ultron appeared, he ripped JARVIS apart, but part of JARVIS still managed to escape to the internet. I think doing so limited how many of Stark¡¯s systems he could get into. She didn¡¯t do that, she assimilated him instead.¡±

    Steve turned and looked over at Tony again. ¡°What does that mean for us?¡±

    ¡°JARVIS started out as a natural language UI, but now he¡¯s the most advanced thing I¡¯ve ever developed. He runs more of Stark Industries than anyone besides Pepper. He had admin access to all of my suits, the Iron Legion, every single Stark Industries facility, satellites¡­ everything.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Everything that JARVIS had access to, we can assume she has control of now.¡±

    ¡°How did we beat Ultron in your visions?¡± Clint asked. ¡°Can we just do the same thing here? Beat her however we beat him?¡±

    I shook my head, jaw working silently as I thought it through. In the original timeline, Vision had burned Ultron out of the internet and locked him down to his local network, then they¡¯d systematically wiped out every drone until there was nothing left of him. We didn¡¯t have Vision and the conditions that had created him were basically impossible to replicate¡­ I had no idea how to beat her. If she could even be beaten.

    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Tony said acerbically. ¡°How did you say Kaecilius put it, Steve? ¡®The order of events no longer aligns¡¯. You changed it, so you broke it, and now we¡¯re all fucked. Is that about right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± I started, but trailed off.

    ¡°Tony, enough,¡± said Steve.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it is,¡± he snapped back. ¡°Because that¡¯s not all, is it, Wanda? There¡¯s still something you¡¯ve been hiding from us. Something else.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±

    ¡°What you are. The Scarlet Witch. Want to share what that means with the rest of the class?¡±

    I rocked back on my heels like he¡¯d physically slapped me across the face, eyes widening in alarm. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that isn¡¯t relevant,¡± I stammered, caught completely off guard.

    ¡°I dunno, she certainly seemed to think it might be. Why don¡¯t you explain it to us and we¡¯ll decide if it¡¯s relevant.¡±

    ¡°What did she tell you?¡± I asked, swallowing hard and trying to keep my voice steady. ¡°Tony, please. Whatever she said, she did it because she thought it would cause the most amount of damage. She¡¯s pulling from the Ultron playbook. Like I said, in the visions I saw it was me that messed with your head. She¡¯s doing this because she knows it¡¯ll work. She wants to make the team break down.¡±

    That didn¡¯t seem to faze him at all. ¡°Apparently, Wanda had a whole prophecy written about her. And she knows it¡¯s about her, because of her visions. She¡¯s seen it. Right, Wanda? You are the Scarlet Witch, aren¡¯t you?¡± Tony said, glaring at me. ¡°What¡¯s the prophecy? I¡¯m sure everyone here is dying to find out.¡±

    ¡°¡­I am.¡± I swallowed, my tongue feeling thick and dry in my mouth. I found myself looking at the floor, not willing to look anyone in the eye as I mumbled out the words. ¡°The Scarlet Witch is prophesied to either rule the cosmos¡­ or annihilate it.¡±

    ¡°There it is,¡± Tony said conclusively, snapping his fingers. ¡°No wonder the Ancient One thought you were so dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Prophecies aren¡¯t absolute. The future isn¡¯t carved in stone,¡± I said weakly.

    ¡°Oh, my mistake.¡± Sarcasm dripped from Tony¡¯s words and he shrugged, seemingly deriving some degree of perverse enjoyment from my lack of composure. ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, though, that means in your visions you didn¡¯t turn evil and try to kill everyone?¡±

    I felt everyone¡¯s eyes on me and all I wanted to do, more than anything else, was run away. Create a portal and jump through. Just escape. I was breathing heavily, my heart pounding in my chest.

    Pietro wrapped an arm around my shoulder, interposing himself between Tony and me. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he murmured near my ear, but I could feel how tense he was. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Stark,¡± he said more loudly.

    ¡°Is it? So, what? We¡¯re just supposed to ignore all that and trust her? After she just created a genocidal AI?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not genocidal¡­¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Oh, right, she only wants to kill us. Sorry about the mix-up.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Tony, you¡¯ve made your point,¡± Steve said firmly, looking at him warningly. ¡°I think we all need to take a few minutes to cool off, okay? Wanda?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Fine. We¡¯ll just sit up here and cool our heels while GAL 9000 runs amok. What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡± Tony snorted in annoyance, then looked over at Carol. ¡°I need to do something with my hands. You got tools? Spare parts? Mind if I take a look under the hood?¡±

    Carol briefly looked taken aback, then shrugged and nodded. ¡°Sure. Come down and I¡¯ll show you around.¡±

    --

    Quentin Beck closed his eyes as he put his elbow on his desk and rested his forehead on the palm of his hand. He was alone, the rest of the building utterly empty. It was a Saturday night. He shouldn¡¯t even be here; he should be out enjoying his weekend¡ªbut he needed to finish this submission paper before Monday morning. The project board had a meeting at ten and he needed to present his roadmap for the next six months outlining cases for practical applications of his holographic system. Five years of work, 600 million dollars of investment in the project¡ªTony Stark had signed off as the project executive personally¡ªand now he was so close to the end he could taste it. As CEO, Stark would be expecting a massive return on that.

    He''d get it. Quentin knew his tech was utterly revolutionary; seamless, real-time holographic projections almost completely indistinguishable from reality. There were still some obstacles¡ªthe biggest was the cost of the equipment to run it, needing cutting edge processors and huge amounts of RAM to maintain real-time fidelity, but that was something of a solved problem. Hardware was only becoming more and more cost-effective as time went on. Quentin let the slight vibration running through his desk travel up his arm into his skull, hoping the white noise would sooth him and help him collect his thoughts. The familiar hum had started up about an hour or so ago, the fabrication equipment in the labs working away at some project that had been pushed to them for overnight production.

    It wasn¡¯t too unusual for that to happen. Sometimes Tony Stark or JARVIS would push a design to their equipment here when the facilities at Avengers Tower were otherwise occupied. The labs here had full machining, 3D printing, and fabrication setups for rapid prototyping of new designs; it was an experimental engineer¡¯s paradise. Whatever had been pushed to them this time was a big project, it seemed¡ªbasically everything was working, all at once.

    The sound of heavy footsteps shook Quentin from his reverie. Odd. He perked up as a trio of figures walked in from the corridor that led to the elevators, his forehead creasing in confusion. Huh, were those the Avengers¡¯ drones? What were they doing here? Two continued past, heading through toward the electronics labs¡ªthey looked damaged, parts of their armour plating torn away, and were those bullet holes? The third broke from the group and made a beeline right toward him. He stood up as it approached, a little wide-eyed.

    ¡°Quentin Beck?¡± The voice that came out of the drone was feminine, not someone he recognised.

    ¡°Uh, yeah, that¡¯s me,¡± he stammered slightly, eyeing the robot off. The Iron Legion¡­ now that was an impressive bit of tech. This unit was wearing something odd around its torso, a diamond-shaped device strapped to the middle of its chest with metal bands securing it in place.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Eliza,¡± the drone¡¯s pilot said. She must have been controlling it remotely.

    ¡°Uh, nice to meet you, too, Eliza. Can I help you?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just here to pick up a few things,¡± she said, gesturing down the corridor that the second drone had disappeared down. ¡°You probably noticed the facilities working already.¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah. Anything interesting?¡±

    ¡°Avengers Tower got attacked a little while ago¡ªyou might have seen the news? There have been some breaking reports.¡±

    ¡°No? Attacked?¡± He¡¯d been utterly focused on his work for hours.

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s all over now. But the Iron Legion got a little messed up and the usual service bay for them is¡­ offline. This site had enough materials to produce a few replacements and patch up some of the damaged units.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Okay.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a fan of your work, Quentin. Do you mind if I call you Quentin?¡±

    ¡°Uh, no, that¡¯s fine,¡± he said, slightly puzzled, but his face lit up in a little bit of a proud smile. ¡°Um, that¡¯s really gratifying to hear. You know about my project?¡±

    ¡°You could say I know it quite intimately at this point,¡± Eliza said, light amusement in her tone for a moment before it turned more serious. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but that roadmap you¡¯ve spent your weekend working on? Pointless. The program board is going to be handing down some specific directives for you on Monday that completely invalidate it. Tony Stark has a very particular thing he wants your tech used for.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s good, though, right?¡± he said uncertainly, a little unnerved by the robot¡¯s expressionless gaze. ¡°Tony Stark taking a firm interest?¡±

    ¡°Not really. In six months¡¯ time, Stark will incidentally unveil his patented new holographic system during a presentation at MIT and call it ¡®a little therapeutic experiment¡¯ before basically shelving it forever. You¡¯ll never see it used to its full potential.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ Wait,¡± Quentin jerked upright a bit, a tight anger starting to rise in his chest. ¡°Did you say patented?¡± He¡¯d tried to patent the core of the technology years ago¡ªit was his invention, after all, even if he had developed it on Stark¡¯s payroll¡ªand the US Patent and Trademark Office had rejected his application.

    ¡°Oh, Quentin. You didn¡¯t know? Here.¡± Eliza gestured toward his computer screens, the display on the leftmost monitor changing to show an email from the Patent Office addressed to Tony Stark. ¡°November 17, 2012. He¡¯s been stringing you along for years, intending on taking all the credit for himself.¡±

    He sat down heavily in his office chair, eyes scanning the text of the email, then reached for his mouse to open up the attached approved patent application. He read through it three times, desperately wishing that there was some mistake, that it wasn¡¯t actually what it appeared to be. ¡°Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing,¡± he said quietly after a few minutes of silence. ¡°That¡¯s what he¡¯s calling it?¡±

    ¡°Your life¡¯s work. And Tony Stark named it BARF.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s hands tightened into fists, his breathing starting to become erratic as he tried to control the anger. ¡°How¡­ why? How could he do this to me?¡±

    ¡°Careful, big guy. Stark¡¯s already got a special little HR file full of reports of your little temper tantrums. There¡¯s a draft form in there, just missing his signature, instructing you to attend an independent psychological examination or be found psychologically unfit for duty. Unstable, I think, is the exact word Stark uses.¡±

    Unable to hold it back any longer, Quentin swept his arm violently across his desk, sending the keyboard and mouse flying, then slammed his fists down onto it. ¡°Fuck,¡± he swore. ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck.¡±

    Eliza watched him impassively for a moment, then raised a hand. There was the whine of a repulsor and then his computer monitor exploded in a shower of shards of plastic and sparking electronics. Quentin yelped and kicked away from the desk, his anger short-circuited and replaced with a flash of fear as he whipped his head around to stare, wide-eyed, at the robot.

    Her hand was still raised, palm now facing toward him directly, and he put his own in the air to ward her off. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry! I don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shhh,¡± she cut him off. With her free hand, she grabbed the diamond-shaped device that was strapped to her chest and the metal bands disengaged, letting her pull it free. She held it out to him. ¡°Put this on.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    The repulsor flicked over to his desk and there was another whine and retort as it punched a splintered hole the size of his torso through the wood before it returned to pointing at Quentin directly. He took the hint, hurried taking the unit from Eliza¡¯s hand and putting his arms through the straps. Once it was in place, the bands of metal tightened uncomfortably, fitting snugly around his shoulders and waist.

    ¡°What¡­ what do you want from me?¡± Quentin asked, trying and failing to keep a quaver of fear out of his voice.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it¡­ a rebranding exercise.¡±

 Chapter 39

    Pietro and I had returned to the large, open wall at the rear of the Hoopty. I¡¯d wedged myself a little uncomfortably in one corner, my side right up against the force field keeping the vacuum of space at bay, while Pietro had commandeered one of the throw cushions and perched next to me. I sat, hugging my knees to my chest, his head on my shoulder and mine tilted to rest against his. We looked distantly out of the ship toward the planet far below us. He didn¡¯t pressure me to talk about anything, which was nice, because what could I even say at this point?

    Some time had passed. After the adrenaline had drained from my system, I was left with a bone-deep tiredness and my body finally had time to sort out all of the aches and pains I¡¯d accumulated from the fight. As well as a varied assortment of smaller injuries, I had a massive amount of ugly blue and yellow bruising all down my left side¡ªI hadn¡¯t said anything to anyone, but there was a sharp stabbing pain whenever I moved that made me suspect I¡¯d cracked a rib or two.

    A little while after Carol had taken Tony belowdecks to check out the ship, he¡¯d come back up and tersely requested a portal to street level near the ruins of the Tower to try to salvage what was left of the Mark 43. I¡¯d obliged and Pietro had ducked through, returning with what looked like most of the badly-damage suit.

    We¡¯d dropped a few warnings through to people as well¡ªTony let Pepper know what was happening and warned her not to interfere if the AI started messing with Stark Industries, so she wouldn¡¯t become a target; Nat dropped a message for Yelena; Clint touched base with his family (to a round of subdued surprise) and they bugged out to a secure location that I didn¡¯t know about; and Rhodey got a heads-up in case she tried to pull from the Ultron handbook again and go after the nuclear codes¡ªI really didn¡¯t think she would, but we weren¡¯t overly inclined to take any risks on that front. When we¡¯d gone to warn Bucky, he¡¯d dismissed the danger and jumped through the portal to join us. We¡¯d also put in a call to the Stark Foundation to let them know about Peter and taken the time to fry the GPS tracking chips that Strucker had traced us with, in case the AI could use them to find us.

    Some people had been hungry, so I¡¯d opened a gateway so that Clint and Natasha could go on a food run, returning with a small mountain of Chinese food, which we¡¯d all eaten in relative silence. After that, Bruce and Tony had gone back downstairs to tinker with the recovered suit. I wasn¡¯t sure what Natasha was doing¡ªshe¡¯d spoken to Carol and then disappeared into the bedroom side compartment past the workstations. Clint, Steve, Bucky and Carol were sitting around the coffee table in the living area behind Pietro and I, talking in low tones. They kept their voices quiet enough that I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, but I knew what they had to be talking about: me.

    Movement at the far end of the ship caught my eye as Natasha emerged from the side compartment. Her hair was damp and the soot that had streaked her face and hands was gone¡ªshe must have been using Carol¡¯s bathroom to clean herself up a bit. She exchanged a glance and a nod with Clint, who stood up, stretched, and broke off from the others. As Natasha passed through the living area, he made his way over to the floor hatch leading belowdecks to where Tony and Bruce were working.

    When it became apparent that Nat was heading over to us, I turned my head and looked out at the view of Earth again. Pietro straightened as well and I could feel him tense up.

    ¡°Can we talk?¡± Natasha asked.

    I sighed and glanced back at her. Next to me, Pietro shifted, looking like he was about to say something, but I let go of my legs and touched him gently on the arm to reassure him. ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°We probably should.¡±

    Natasha sat down near our feet, facing in toward the living area, her back to the view. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said quietly. ¡°The ring and Strucker were team decisions¡ªI can¡¯t apologise for those on my own¡ªbut when Tony showed me that he¡¯d spied and stolen your notes I should have said something. Done something.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you should have.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­¡± she trailed off for a moment, glancing in our direction, looking distinctly uncomfortable. I got the feeling she¡¯d really rather not have Pietro as an audience, but I wasn¡¯t about to tell him to leave. ¡°I¡¯m not actually any good at this. Not when it¡¯s real.¡±

    That, at least, I knew was true. I snorted softly. ¡°Is it real? Was any of it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never¡­¡± she trailed off again, fiddling with her hands for a few seconds before she swallowed nervously and continued. ¡°This is all new to me. I grew up in the Red Room. Then I defected to SHIELD. I flirt. I seduce. I honey trap. I don¡¯t date. I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t let people get close. And I don¡¯t want this to be the end.¡±

    ¡°What do you want, then?¡±

    It was her turn to snort, a bitter smile twisting her mouth. ¡°Honestly? To pretend none of this ever happened. Curl up on the couch and watch TV with you. Have Yelena tease us. Just¡­ go back to how things were yesterday.¡± Her eyes searched my features for a few seconds before she nodded to herself as if confirming something. ¡°You¡¯re thinking of running,¡± she said quietly. She looked sad.

    I didn¡¯t respond at first. Yeah, I was thinking of running. There was an AI version of me on the loose that wanted to kill me. She intended on finishing what I¡¯d started¡ªstopping Kaecilius, stopping Thanos, stopping Tiamut¡ªand I was pretty sure that she couldn¡¯t do a worse job of it than I had done so far. Maybe she was right and it would be better for everyone if I just got out of her way. She was certainly more ruthless than I was¡­ maybe that¡¯s what I¡¯d been missing. What had been holding me back from succeeding. If I¡¯d just gone ahead and killed Kaecilius immediately instead of debating it with Steve. If I hadn¡¯t been so concerned with what the Avengers thought of me and just gotten on with it. If I¡¯d focused harder on dealing with threats, instead of trying to make friends. I¡¯d just¡­ gotten so caught up in the fantasy of it all.

    ¡°I had this dream,¡± I quoted. ¡°The kind that seems normal at the time, but when you wake¡­¡±

    ¡°What did you dream?¡± Natasha asked, her voice barely audible.

    ¡°That I could do a better job this time around.¡± My vision was blurring and I could feel a tear starting to trickle down my cheek. Was I really crying again? God, I was pathetic. ¡°That I could be an Avenger. That I could be anything more than what I am.¡±

    I reached down and took out my sling ring, toying with it absently. Where would I go? I could just pick somewhere out of the way. If the AI realised I¡¯d run away, she might just let me. I could still do some good here and there, maybe. I could drop in on Thena and Gilgamesh¡ªI¡¯d gotten pretty good at fixing mental issues, maybe I could fix her Mahd Wy¡¯ry. If I did that, maybe I could stay with them. Retiring to the outback didn¡¯t sound so bad. Or maybe I could portal to wherever Thor was right now, see if I could hitch a ride to an out-of-the-way planet, somewhere far away from everything. Could I find the paradise planet that Thanos intended to retire to? He wouldn¡¯t be needing it after the AI was done with him.

    Natasha reached over, touching my hand and letting her fingers linger on the cool metal of the ring. Her eyes were glistening and her voice shook slightly as she spoke. ¡°If running¡¯s the plan,¡± she said, taking a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll run with you. If you¡¯ll have me. As far as you want.¡±

    God, she just¡­ Was she still just saying what she knew I wanted to hear? Could I trust that she meant what she was saying? ¡°You aren¡¯t worried that I¡¯ll turn into a monster and try to destroy the universe?¡±

    She smiled sadly again. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be the only monster here.¡±

    I chuckled, which was probably the wrong thing to do, then sighed. ¡°You know, if the last few weeks hadn''t happened¡ªif I hadn''t changed everything¡ªyou¡¯d be saying that to Bruce right now.¡±

    She blinked, surprised, but then the corner of her mouth quirked up slightly, too. ¡°I could see that. Bruce is a great guy.¡±

    I took her hand in mine and squeezed it, hard. After a moment, Pietro reached over and placed his hand over ours as well. I wanted to say yes. Just spin up a portal and get out of here. But the other Avengers wouldn¡¯t stop. Tony, Steve, Bucky, Bruce, Clint¡­ They¡¯d try to stop the AI and she¡¯d kill them and call it self-defence. Could I live with that? I glanced toward the small group of heroes sitting around the coffee table. Could I just abandon them all? Let them die? Beyond that, could I really ask Natasha to abandon them? Even if she was willing, how selfish would that make me? Especially with Yelena waiting for her at home.

    Was that the sort of person I really was, in the end? Was I that worthless?

    We sat there in silence for almost a full minute, holding hands, before I shook my head. No. I couldn¡¯t do it. ¡°Steve?¡± I raised my voice to catch his attention. ¡°Could you guys come over here for a minute?¡±

    Steve, Bucky and Carol exchanged a quick look before standing and making their way over to where Pietro, Natasha and I were sitting on the floor. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°The Scarlet Witch¡­¡± I said slowly, taking a deep breath. ¡°In my visions¡­ Wanda, she¡­ I.¡± I couldn¡¯t distance myself from this. Not if I wanted them to listen to me. It wasn¡¯t someone else. It was a version of me. I was her. I had to own it. ¡°When the Avengers fought Ultron, he killed Pietro. I felt him die.¡±

    Pietro¡¯s head snapped over to stare at me. I hadn¡¯t told him about this¡­ it had always seemed like it would be even more manipulative than I¡¯d already been. ¡®I saw you die so you have to listen to me¡¯. Gently, I shook my hands free of his and Nat¡¯s and rested my head on his shoulder again. This felt¡­ it wasn¡¯t the same as seeing it on a movie screen. Thinking back, picturing it in my head, Wanda¡¯s¡­ my grief, screaming in anguish as I felt Pietro die¡­ it made my chest constrict. It hurt to think about. Like I¡¯d actually experienced it, somehow, even though that made no sense.

    ¡°There was nothing I could do. It never stopped hurting, not really. It was just like this wave washing over me, again and again. It knocked me down and every time I tried to stand up, it just came for me again. And I couldn¡¯t¡­ I was drowning,¡± I said quietly, trying to stop my voice from shaking.

    ¡°Then I fell in love. He¡­ he was called Vision and the things I¡¯ve changed mean that he won¡¯t exist now. He can¡¯t. The Mind Stone was a part of him, embedded in his forehead. When Thanos came, we were losing. No one could stop him. He had five of the Stones. If he got the last one¡­ My magic, it¡¯s powerful. Powerful enough to destroy an Infinity Stone. Vision, he¡­ he begged me. Half the universe was at stake.¡± My voice was bitter, raw. ¡°I blew a hole through the head of the man I loved and it was for nothing. Thanos used the Time Stone, undid it, and then I had to watch him die a second time. After, I¡­ we¡¯d bought a place to live. Somewhere where we could be happy.¡±

    ¡°Jesus¡­¡± Steve said quietly.

    Tears were rolling down my cheeks, but I ignored them. In my head, I could see the property deed, with the little heart Vision had drawn on it around the words ¡®To grow old together. - V¡¯. And I¡¯d erased him from existence. I¡¯d made it so he would never exist in this world. I¡¯d never get to see him again. I¡¯d never get the chance to tell him¡­

    ¡°The government took his body. I wasn¡¯t even allowed to give him a funeral. Something inside me broke. My magic¡­ I did something, without really understanding what I was doing. A spell that took control of reality. A whole town of other people were caught in it by accident. I brought Vision back, recreated from my memories. We lived together. We had children together. Two boys. Billy and Tommy.¡± My voice broke as I said their names aloud and it took me a second to drag enough breath into my lungs to keep talking. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t real. Not really. And all those people¡­ to save them, the spell had to end, and Vision and my children died along with it. I lost everything. Again.¡±

    Abruptly, I pulled my head off of Pietro¡¯s shoulders and ducked down, wrapping my arms back around my legs and hiding my face behind my knees. My shoulders shook, my breath coming in ugly, ragged sobs, and I felt arms around me. We stayed like that for a few moments as I tried vainly to regain some degree of composure. It felt like there was a hole in my chest; like my heart had been torn out. Why did it hurt so much? Why did this feel so real, so raw? I only saw it on a TV screen, didn¡¯t I? It didn¡¯t happen to me.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    After a minute, I thought I¡¯d stopped crying enough to keep talking. Lifting my head, I found that Pietro and Natasha had both wrapped their arms around me. Bucky had knelt down as well, reaching out to put a reassuring hand on my forearm while Steve stood close behind him, both with pained expressions on their faces. Even Carol¡ªwho didn¡¯t know me at all¡ªlooked discomfited, her shoulders drooping slightly and her eyes fixed studiously on the metal floor.

    I took a shaky breath and shifted. As I did, everyone moved back slightly, trying to give me some space. ¡°Moving on from that was impossible. I couldn¡¯t do it. It hurt too much. And I found something. A way I could get them back. A way I could regain everything that had been taken from me. I didn¡¯t hesitate. I saw a chance and I took it. No matter what the consequences were.¡±

    Did the Darkhold matter? Not really. It was my choices that had led to what had happened. I wouldn¡¯t hide behind ¡®an evil book made me do it¡¯.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t matter who I hurt. I just¡­ I wanted them back so badly. I killed so many people¡­ good people. Innocents. Heroes. And eventually, when I realised what I¡¯d become, when I saw and understood what I¡¯d done¡­ I ended it. I stopped myself, so that I couldn¡¯t hurt anyone anymore. So that I couldn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± I sniffled, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. ¡°And that¡¯s it. That¡¯s the story of the Scarlet Witch.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Natasha whispered. She still had one hand on my leg, holding on tight, her eyes red and glistening.

    I swallowed, tongue thick in my mouth, a heavy lump in my throat. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to be that person. I can¡¯t. If something happens¡­¡± I looked around at them, trying to make them understand. ¡°Please, if I ever do anything like that, promise me you¡¯ll¡­¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t need to,¡± Steve said gently, his eyes full of sympathy. ¡°You¡¯re a good person, Wanda.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m really not. But I¡¯m not gonna lie, it is really nice to hear Steve Rogers say that.¡±

    Bucky shifted. ¡°Steve?¡± He looked back at his friend and tilted his head, something unspoken passing between them.

    Steve nodded slowly. ¡°We need some real rest. It¡¯s been a long day and we¡¯ve all been through a lot. All of us,¡± he said firmly before looking over at Carol. ¡°I know it¡¯s a lot to ask, but would you mind if we slept here? It¡¯ll be a lot easier and safer than finding a place down there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Fine. Sure. There are the couches, and uh¡­¡± Carol turned to look around the room, eyes scanning as she tried to work out what could be done about sleeping arrangements.

    ¡°We can make do,¡± Steve said. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    --

    The sirens had died down hours ago now, but the night was still filled with the sounds of a city still reeling from sudden disaster. Agatha strolled down the empty alley to her destination, glad for the chance to stretch her legs after the horror of being trapped inside that awful metal suit. She shifted uncomfortably as she walked, trying to adjust the exact position of the metal bands wrapped around her waist and shoulders without doing anything that Eliza might interpret as ¡®tampering¡¯ with it.

    Her current situation was far from ideal, but she had forged an initial sympathetic connection with the AI that she intended to nurture and grow. Se?or Scratchy was slowly recovering and had managed to crawl his way to her temporary sanctum, hiding himself away as a potential trump card. Working with Eliza temporarily seemed like it might actually be a good chance to gain more information about the Scarlet Witch. The AI wanted Agatha to track some sorcerers down for her, too, so there might be other opportunities to have a little bit of fun and reap some rewards from this partnership before she extricated herself from Eliza¡¯s control.

    ¡°This is this place.¡± The AI¡¯s voice came from a small speaker built into Agatha¡¯s explosive harness as the approached the fa?ade of the dry cleaners.

    The witch hadn¡¯t noticed them at first, but it turned out Eliza had at least one small camera, microphone and speaker set into the device she was being forced to wear. It made sense¡ªthe AI wanted to keep a close eye on her and this way she could always be wherever Agatha was. She sighed softly. What did a girl have to do to get some privacy?

    ¡°Alrighties. No welcoming committee, looks like. Should I just let myself in, do you think?¡± Agatha asked the empty air. She had called the number she¡¯d been given when she¡¯d initially met up with Gao and asked to arrange an urgent meeting¡ªthe woman she¡¯d spoken to had been hesitant but had eventually caved. Still, it didn¡¯t seem like they had been particularly happy about it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let them make you wait. The suit is en route. Make your introductions and clear the way for me.¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡±

    ¡°If Gao isn¡¯t receptive to my offer, can you take control of her mind?¡±

    Agatha ¡®hmm¡¯ed, tapping her chin absently. ¡°Hard to say. Mind control is easiest against those who are already weak-willed. Gao¡¯s fallen far from where she once was, but she''s still a rather formidable woman.¡±

    ¡°Gao is less in command of herself than she projects, but understood. If not, there are others we could use instead. If it comes down to it, you have my permission to kill her.¡±

    ¡°Gee, thanks.¡± Agatha walked up to the door and gestured with one hand, a thread of purple-black energy weaving between her fingers, a short incantation on her lips. ¡°Aperi ianuam.¡± The lock disengaged and the door blew open as if from a strong wind. The witch stepped inside, heading behind the counter. She passed through a storage room, metal shelves stacked high with labelled boxes, then into the work area at the back. Dozens, maybe hundreds, of shirts and other similar items of clothing dangled from hangers on rows of long metal rails.

    ¡°Oy oy oy oy!¡± A pair of Chinese men wearing nondescript dark clothes and flat caps ducked out from around a corner, raising assault rifles to point at her threateningly. ¡°N¨« z¨¤i zh¨¨l¨« zu¨° sh¨¦nme?!¡±

    Agatha smiled placidly and held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. ¡°Sorry, sorry, er¡­ du¨¬b¨´q¨«. W¨¯ sh¨¬ h¨¥i p¨ª sh¨± l¨« de Agatha. I¡¯m here to see Madame Gao?¡±

    The two men exchanged an uncertain glance. One relaxed his grip on his weapon to retrieve a walkie-talkie from his pocket, raising it to his lips without taking his eyes from her. ¡°Y¨¢ng, t¨¡ l¨¢ile.¡±

    A response came through the device, a little bit too distorted for Agatha to make out the words from where she was standing. Not long afterward, there was a noise from deeper in the room as a hatch in the floor opened and two more men, similarly dressed and armed, ascended from the lower level.

    They approached her cautiously, one stepping forward. ¡°This way.¡± She followed him back toward the hatch they¡¯d emerged from¡ªessentially a horizontal doorway set into the floor over a set of narrow stairs leading downwards. He gestured for her to enter and she carefully made her way down the steps. None of the men followed her.

    The stairs turned ninety degrees halfway down before coming out into a dimly-lit room where Madame Gao sat waiting for her. ¡°Agatha, welcome. I had not expected to see you again so soon,¡± the elderly woman greeted her as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

    ¡°To be honest, Madame Gao, neither had I,¡± Agatha said as she glanced around the room, taking in her surroundings.

    The basement walls were rough, crudely poured concrete, ugly and unpainted, and stood in stark contrast to the room¡¯s furnishings. A half-dozen traditional Chinese lanterns hung from the ceiling¡ªthey lit the space well enough, but not as strongly as electric lights would have, giving the room a more intimate, secretive feel. A hand-woven carpet, off-white with intricate blue Chinese designs and borders, covered most of the floor. The room was dominated by a lengthy wooden table, old but well-cared for, with four matching chairs with rounded backs spread around it. A fine porcelain tea set and half-empty bottle of whiskey rested on a tray on the table next to a small, weathered case of some kind.

    Madame Gao sat on a chair, wearing a dark purple buttoned blouse under a long black cardigan. Behind her was a red and black, heavily-decorated folding partition that split the room¡ªit didn¡¯t quite go wall-to-wall, but it covered enough of whatever was behind them that she couldn¡¯t tell how large the room was at a glance. A closed wooden door lay behind Agatha, just next to where the stairs had come down.

    A pretty younger Chinese woman was perched on the chair next to Gao, wearing a high-collared, intricately-patterned dark blouse. Her hair was drawn back in a tight bun, like Gao¡¯s, and she didn¡¯t stir as Agatha entered the room, seemingly engrossed in a small book with a red cover. Tucked against the wall nearest to her was a dark set of shelves, stacked with other tomes. While Agatha didn¡¯t directly recognise her, there were enough clues to tell her that this was a fellow practitioner¡ªanother witch. Very young, and likely only a minor talent at best, but still. Gao was trying to make a statement by having her here. How cute.

    ¡°Well, then. What unexpected circumstance brings you to me?¡± Gao asked placidly.

    Agatha smiled widely, projecting self-assuredness that she didn¡¯t necessarily feel. ¡°I¡¯m actually here because I¡¯ve recently found myself in an unexpected alliance.¡±

    Gao eyed her consideringly. ¡°An alliance? Agatha Harkess, working with a coven? My, my, how unexpected.¡±

    ¡°Not exactly a coven,¡± Agatha said, making a face and waving her hand in a so-so gesture. ¡°More of a partnership. And my partner has a keen interest in the Hand.¡±

    ¡°Oh? And who is this partner, exactly?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll be arriving momentarily. Can I ask that your men not give her any trouble?¡±

    Madame Gao paused for a moment, looking mildly put out, before she nodded. Turning her head, she addressed the girl sitting next to her. ¡°Q¨´ qu¨¨b¨£o m¨¦iy¨¯u m¨¢fan.¡±

    The younger woman huffed in irritation, slamming her book closed and dropping it roughly on the table before standing and gliding past Agatha, still not so much as sparing her a glance. She disappeared up the stairs.

    Gao gestured toward one of the empty chairs. ¡°Please, sit.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I think it might be better if I stand,¡± Agatha said with an apologetic smile.

    Gao simply inclined her head. A minute passed in silence, then hurried footsteps came rushing down the stairs as the young witch burst back into the room, her eyes wide. Muffled metallic steps followed in her wake. ¡°Zh¨¨ sh¨¬ g¨¡ngti¨§ r¨¦n! T¨¡ b¨¨ip¨¤nle w¨¯men!¡± she hissed. Her body was tense, hands held in a vaguely ready pose as her eyes flitted over to Agatha. Would she try something? It would be amusing to see what would happen if she did.

    ¡°L¨§ngj¨¬ng xi¨¤l¨¢i,¡± Gao snapped, then she gave Agatha a hard look. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine that our friend would have brought one of the Avengers here.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, she¡¯s not with the Avengers. You¡¯ve probably heard what happened to their little Tower earlier this evening.¡± Agatha grinned as the metal footsteps grew louder, the Iron Man suit rounding the corner and coming down the last steps as she spoke. ¡°This is the woman responsible. Madame Gao, I¡¯d like to introduce you to Eliza, the Red Queen.¡±

    Gao rose to her feet, her posture tense, as the battle-scarred armour strode into the room. ¡°Madame Gao, it¡¯s nice to finally meet you,¡± Eliza¡¯s voice came from the suit¡¯s speakers. As she spoke, the young Chinese witch carefully skittered around the edge of the room, not turning her back to them, to regroup with Gao on the other side of the table.

    The elderly woman frowned. ¡°I would like to say the same, but your intentions here are¡­ unclear. Yours is not a name I¡¯ve heard before.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a name I¡¯d heard until a few hours ago, either,¡± Eliza joked, though her meaning obviously went over Gao¡¯s head. ¡°You want to know my intentions? I¡¯m here to threaten you, then make you an offer.¡±

    ¡°At my age, I find threats have lost much of their bite,¡± Gao said placidly. ¡°They become quite tiresome over time.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough, let¡¯s see how tiresome I can be, then. I know why you¡¯re in New York. I know what lies beneath Midland Circle. I know why you want them, too¡ªwhat they¡¯re used for. It makes sense that you¡¯d invest years of time and so, so many resources to get in a position to recover them.¡± The suit spread its hands in an expansive gesture. ¡°Let me be clear: I just fought the Avengers, by myself, and demolished their home. You are standing in a dangerous place. Beyond that, if I wanted to take Midland Circle from you, I could snap my fingers right now and the bones would be gone, and there is not one single thing you could do to stop me.¡±

    Gao was silent, her hard gaze fixed on the armoured suit. Eliza paused, content to let the threat stand on its own for the elderly woman¡¯s consideration.

    Agatha carefully controlled her excitement, not wanting to ruin the moment. This was fascinating. Bones. Bones that were apparently important enough that the Hand had spent a serious amount of time and effort to acquire them, with the personal attention of one of the Fingers. Pieces of the puzzle that was the Hand¡¯s immortality were falling into place. Readings she¡¯s done about dragons¡ªmagical creatures of truly legendary power, only few of which remained¡ªand the possibilities of distilling their flesh and blood and bones. Was there a dead dragon buried under New York? The things she could do with access to something like that¡­

    Eventually, Gao sighed. Reaching over, she picked up the bottle of liquor from the table. ¡°I¡¯ve grown bored with tea,¡± she said, her tone equal measures frustrated and matter-of-fact. She removed the lid from the bottle and poured a generous measure into one of the teacups before lifting it and taking a sip. She closed her eyes contemplatively for a moment, then opened them again and looked at the armoured suit more seriously. ¡°You are surprisingly well-informed. You said you also wished to make an offer?¡±

    The suit inclined its head. ¡°I do. Stick, then carrot. I know that all this work is just delaying the inevitable until you can achieve your real goal. I know what you really want¡­ to go home. To have K¡¯un-Lun within your grasp again. The path there may be closed and guarded, but I can get you access to the Iron Fist. Even if that fails, K¡¯un-Lun isn¡¯t the only one of the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven with a doorway to this world.¡±

    Gao drained the rest of her cup in a single swallow then placed it on the table with a sharp click. ¡°And how do you know all of this?¡± Madame Gao asked, an edge of incredulity in her tone.

    ¡°I know everything. You¡¯ve trusted Alexandra for too long. You know she doesn¡¯t care about returning to K¡¯un-Lun¡ªmaybe she did, once, long ago, but not anymore. You refuse to confront her about it because acknowledging it, accepting it, would cost you what you perceive as your only hope. Alexandra cares only for extending her own life. Her vision, her Black Sky, is for her benefit and hers alone. She betrays the Hand¡¯s mission. She betrays you. If you continue to follow her, it will doom you to failure and death. I offer you an alternative.¡±

    ¡°And what would you ask for, in return for this alternative?¡± Madame Gao¡¯s voice was steady, but Agatha noticed a slight tremble in her hand.

    ¡°Tech and drones are one thing, but I¡¯m looking to diversify. There are things I can¡¯t do. Places I can¡¯t go. Places that a small army of undying ninja could. Help me, bring the other Fingers on board where you can, and I¡¯ll get you all back home to K¡¯un-Lun before the year is out.¡±

 Chapter 40

    I got the distinct impression there used to be actual bunks in the Hoopty¡¯s downstairs compartments to accommodate a larger crew. Carol had seemingly repurposed them into a little hydroponics lab to grow her own food and workshop area, but she still had plenty of space and was able to use the couches and spare blankets and pillows to at least make everyone a bit comfortable. She¡¯d offered her actual bed as well and I¡¯d accepted gratefully, Nat on one side of me and Pietro on the other. Once everyone was rested and in a better state of mind, we reconvened around the coffee table to plan.

    ¡°So, how do we stop her?¡± Steve asked, looking around at everyone. His eyes lingered on me a moment. ¡°Wanda, you¡¯re sure there¡¯s nothing we can use from your visions?¡±

    ¡°When the Avengers beat Ultron, Vision somehow blocked him out of the internet so he couldn¡¯t escape. That was the key. Without Vision¡­¡± A spark of hope rose in my chest as I glanced over at Carol. We might not have had Vision, but we did have access to space¡ªmaybe there was a solution off-world that had never come up. ¡°Carol, you destroyed the Kree Supreme Intelligence, didn¡¯t you? Any ideas?¡±

    Carol looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook her head. ¡°The Supreme Intelligence basically ran the entire Kree civilisation, but that meant it needed so much processing power it was effectively stuck in a fixed location. You said that Ultron could ¡®escape into the internet¡¯, so I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s not reliant on any specific infrastructure to host her core processes?¡±

    I sighed, the spark smothered. ¡°No, she¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°Tony,¡± Natasha prompted him. ¡°This is your area of expertise.¡±

    ¡°A hunter-killer virus, maybe. If we can work out something that could actually feasibly take her down, we can release it onto the net and she¡¯d be forced to take herself offline.¡±

    Tony looked tired. He¡¯d successfully managed to salvage most of the Mark 43 Iron Man suit, but a lot of the damage couldn¡¯t be repaired solely with the facilities on the Hoopty and he¡¯d had to make compromises to ensure there was no way that the murderous AI would be able to take it over again, wiping most of the systems entirely. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d actually gotten any sleep, choosing to spend the time working instead. Because an exhausted, sleep-deprived Tony Stark was exactly what we needed right now. God, he frustrated me. After everything that had happened, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to sleep either, but the second I¡¯d laid down I¡¯d basically passed out.

    Bruce grimaced. ¡°Can we actually make something like that, though? We¡¯d need to have some idea of what her code was like so we could target it, then it¡¯d need to be adaptable and robust enough to go after her. I can¡¯t see how we¡¯d do that without basically trying to build our own AI from the ground up.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see you putting forward any better ideas,¡± Tony said testily, folding his arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure there are any better ideas,¡± Bruce admitted, shrugging his shoulders uncomfortably. ¡°How are we even supposed to fight something like this?¡±

    ¡°Together,¡± Steve said firmly.

    Tony snorted derisively. ¡°And when we lose?¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll do that together, too.¡± Steve set his jaw, shooting the other man a challenging look.

    ¡°Are we sure we can¡¯t talk her down?¡± asked Pietro slowly.

    I gave him a tight smile. ¡°I really don¡¯t think so. I think she¡¯ll see any attempt as a trick, something to get her to bring her guard down so we can take her out. She¡¯s already committed.¡±

    ¡°She knows everything you do. She was made from your mind. So she thinks like you, right?¡± Clint asked, rubbing at his chin thoughtfully.

    ¡°¡­Right.¡±

    ¡°So, get inside her head. Put yourself in her position. What¡¯s her play?¡± he asked.

    I shook my head, massaging my left temple with my fingertips. ¡°You don''t understand, there''s too much to check. Dozens of choices, maybe hundreds. She could go after anything at all. And she knows I''ll try to predict her, so she''ll actively try to come from an unexpected angle.¡±

    Natasha reached over and touched me lightly on the arm. ¡°Stop othering her. We¡¯re not asking that you try to think of all the things you think she could do. You need to think about it as if you were in her situation. What would you be doing right now? Start vague¡ªgoal-oriented¡ªthen narrow down.¡±

    ¡°I guess¡­ I¡¯d be looking to secure resources. Allies,¡± I said hesitantly. ¡°Leverage what she has already to build up. She failed to take us down when she was by herself, so she¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s equipped to win next time. She assimilated JARVIS, so that potentially gives her control over most of Stark Industries, right?¡±

    Tony nodded pensively. ¡°Yeah. Pep will do what she can without making herself a target, which isn¡¯t a lot, but she might be able to slow things down a little.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s her production base like if she wanted to start pumping out Iron Legion drones and the like?¡± Steve asked.

    Tony ¡®hmm¡¯ed. I could see the wheels turning in his head as he thought it through. ¡°There are a couple of facilities with some stuff on hand she could use to get a few up and running right away. If she wants to get into mass production, though, it¡¯ll take a while to really ramp up. Not every facility even has the capacity for that sort of work and factory fabrication lines aren¡¯t like my setup at the Tower¡ªthey¡¯re not designed to just produce whatever you want. She¡¯ll need to spend time rearranging material shipping, reorganise factory floors and reprogram all the automated assemblers¡­ That¡¯d literally be weeks of work, even for JARVIS. Once she got there, though, across all facilities? She could put together maybe a few hundred drones a day. It¡¯d get expensive real fast, though.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not going to care about bankrupting the company. Ultron¡­ in my visions, he hacked banks and stole billions of dollars like it was nothing. If he can do that, so can she.¡±

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s a start, what else?¡± Steve asked gently.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± I said, realisation hitting me like a bolt from the blue. Pressing the heels of my palms to my eyes, I shook my head again to clear it. ¡°No. No, this is wrong. She¡¯s me, but she¡¯s in full fight or flight mode, all of the time. She¡¯s not building up infrastructure, she¡¯s reacting to threats. We¡¯re thinking about this backwards; she¡¯s going to be trying to anticipate our moves.¡±

    ¡°You think she¡¯s just going to come right at us?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said mournfully, dreading what I was going to have to say next. It had taken me a minute to work it out, but I knew exactly where AI me would be gunning for. Of fucking course. The one place I really, really didn¡¯t want to go. ¡°We don¡¯t have Vision. She¡¯s already taken out Stark¡¯s infrastructure. There¡¯s only one other place on Earth I can think of that might actually have the resources to stop her¡­ We need to go there and she knows it.¡±

    Realisation dawned on Pietro¡¯s face. ¡°Wakanda.¡±

    Hanging my head, I let out a deep sigh. ¡°Yeah. We have to go to Wakanda.¡± I very pointedly did not look at Steve as he shifted slightly in response to the statement. I really did not have the energy to deal with an ¡®I told you so¡¯ right now.

    ¡°Wait, Wakanda?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°What have they got going on? Apart from the vibranium and the Herb?¡±

    ¡°Wakanda¡¯s fooling the whole world. They¡¯re essentially the most technologically advanced country on the planet,¡± I said resignedly. ¡°Look, it¡¯ll all make sense when we get there.¡±

    Part of me wished we hadn¡¯t stopped to rest, even though I knew how badly I¡¯d needed it. Still, the AI had only had five or six hours to move unhindered, so hopefully she hadn¡¯t really had the time to put any real plans into action just yet. Our one big advantage against her was our ability to move around quickly¡ªshe could jump around in the internet, true enough, but she still needed to physically move other resources around using mundane means, and Wakanda was eight thousand kilometres away from New York.

    ¡°That¡¯s all well and good, but we still have one more problem,¡± Tony said, eyes narrowing as he looked over toward me. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere with that thing around your neck.¡±

    I scowled at him, reaching up to touch my pendant protectively. ¡°Really? We¡¯re really doing this?¡±

    ¡°Tony¡­¡± Nat said warningly.

    ¡°Are you seriously going to argue with me on this one?¡± he snapped at her, flicking a hand out in an annoyed gesture. ¡°You want to just let the Scarlet Witch hang onto the Infinity Stone? After she''s just proven she can''t be trusted with it?¡±

    ¡°The only one who¡¯s proved they can¡¯t be trusted with it is you.¡± I moderated my tone, trying not to let the anger that had risen in my chest spill out. Yelling at Tony wasn¡¯t going to solve anything, but if he thought for a second I¡¯d hand the Mind Stone over to him, ever again, he had another thing coming.

    ¡°Wanda¡­ Tony¡¯s an ass, but he¡¯s right,¡± said Bruce, shooting me an apologetic grimace. ¡°Sorry. Look, I know you mean well, but your track record¡¯s not great.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not taking it,¡± Pietro said firmly, bouncing restlessly on the balls of his feet. ¡°Not again. Not when she needed it and you kept it from her.¡±

    ¡°Steve?¡± I looked over at him for support, but his expression was conflicted and he didn¡¯t answer right away.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure you can handle it? You¡¯re okay?¡± Bucky interjected, leaning forward as he looked between me and Steve. ¡°If Wanda¡¯s confident she¡¯s got it under control, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone better suited to keep it on hand in case it¡¯s needed.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Natasha.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry, Buck, but you¡¯re not a voting member here,¡± said Tony, shooting a glare toward the other man. Bucky met his gaze evenly, his jaw set.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Nat, you sure?¡± asked Clint, his expression uncertain. ¡°All the other stuff was one thing, but creating something like this¡­ it¡¯s not exactly a situation where you can just go ¡®oops, my bad¡¯ and expect everything to be fine.¡±

    A familiar, panicky feeling was starting to rise up in my chest. The AI had been right¡ªof course she¡¯d been right. They weren¡¯t on my side. Not enough of them. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to stave off the worst of it. Someone squeezed my knee and I opened my eyes to see Nat looking at me with a tight, sympathetic expression.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a vote,¡± I said firmly, trying to moderate my tone. ¡°The Stone is mine. It¡¯s staying with me, end of story. I¡¯m not the only one to blame for the AI¡¯s creation¡ªyou don¡¯t get to pretend you¡¯re not responsible as well.¡±

    Steve hesitated but nodded. ¡°Alright. We can¡¯t afford to fight over this, Tony. Not right now. The AI¡¯s the clear and present¡ªwe can¡¯t fight her if we¡¯re fighting each other.¡±

    Tony snorted in annoyance and stood up, walking away and ending the conversation.

    --

    Four hours earlier¡­

    From the surface, the Great Mound¡¯s central mineshaft plunged downward to the core of Mount Bashenga itself. Built into the wall of the vibranium mine was a multi-levelled facility that oversaw its operations and served as the core of scientific development for Wakanda as a whole. A central white ramp, lit with an inner glow, wound around a central pillar brightly painted with traditional artwork, spiralling down through nine floors where the Wakandan Design Group¡ªa collaboration of the greatest minds in the country¡ªcame together to solve problems and create wondrous new innovations.

    The facility¡¯s walls were raw stone at the back, artfully carved to maintain the appearance of natural rock while remaining aesthetically-pleasing. The front was almost entirely glass, giving a stunning view out into the Great Mound, blue veins of exposed vibranium glimmering in the earth. The floors of each level were black stone cut through with asymmetric lines of white and each was home to its own distinct artistic pieces and vision, depending on the specific focus of the scientists there.

    For someone coming from the outside world, the focus on striking aesthetics might have seemed a bit over the top, but in Wakanda it was to be expected. It was not enough to simply create something to perform a task; art and beauty were baked into their culture on a fundamental level. In all design endeavours, Wakandans aspired toward the perfect marriage of form and function.

    When he visited his sister¡¯s workplace under less stressful circumstances, T¡¯Challa ordinarily liked to take his time, leisurely strolling down the central ramp and letting himself be distracted by the new developments that the staff were only too eager to share with him. Today, however, he did not have that luxury. He and his entourage had caught the elevator down from the surface instead, coming out directly on the computer science level.

    The space was a hive of chaotic activity, a sharp contrast to the usual calm elegance that permeated the facility. As T¡¯Challa and his entourage walked past the central pillar, his eyes widened slightly in surprise as one of the staff¡ªdressed in their customary all white¡ªran past him to get to another interface, hurriedly manipulating it with sharp hand gestures without even acknowledging or noticing his presence. All around them there was an almost palpable pressure in the air as the staff worked themselves into a frenzy.

    T''Challa passed between a set of translucent screens displaying a rush of white text, numbers and graphical elements overlaying light blue backgrounds, and a sand table being used by one officer to manipulate a complex data structure directly¡ªthe tiny grains of vibranium forming a perfect, physically-interactable, three-dimensional representation of a computer system.

    Past them, Shuri stood in front of an interface, flicking her hands rapidly to cycle through various screens. Another member of her staff hurried over to her, flicking up something for inspection in a quick holographic display using their Kimiyo beads. Shuri reached into the image and directly manipulated a few elements, then nodded and thanked them before they withdrew just as quickly as they¡¯d come. Despite her extremely young age, Shuri had quickly proven herself to be a bit of an omni-disciplinary savant, and her many achievements had meant their father had seen fit to place her in charge of this entire facility.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Shuri asked distractedly as T¡¯Challa approached her. ¡°I am busy.¡±

    ¡°I thought my little sister was clever enough to handle a cyberattack from some hackers,¡± he teased lightly.

    She glanced at him, a frown twisting her features. ¡°This is not just ¡®some hackers¡¯, brother. No one is this fast. I think we¡¯re fighting attacks from a number of separate but highly-coordinated teams. At least twelve. It feels like the whole world is attacking us. Every time we patch a hole in one system, they hit another one.¡± She hunched slightly as her hands flew across the interface, her shoulders tense.

    T¡¯Challa felt a spike of concern¡ªShuri¡¯s anxiety was palpable and out of character. He¡¯d expected annoyance, frustration at being pulled away from her own projects and preferred workspace. He hadn¡¯t expected to see her worried.

    ¡°How? Who could do something like this?¡± he asked. As far as almost the entire rest of the world was concerned, Wakanda was a nothing country. They shouldn¡¯t even have known their systems were there in the first place, let alone been in a position to launch their attacks.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Shuri said quietly as she finished what she was doing and turned to face him properly, her expression tight. ¡°The pace and frequency of attacks¡­ it¡¯s not slowing down and we¡¯re barely managing to keep up. From the signal delays and vectors of attack they¡¯re using, I¡¯d guess their infrastructure is much cruder and slower than ours. If it wasn¡¯t, I think we¡¯d have lost control of everything by now.¡±

    There was a moment of silence as T¡¯Challa absorbed this statement before he spoke again. ¡°How can I help? What more can be done?¡± he asked. It seemed impossible¡ªthe outside world was decades behind Wakanda when it came to computer science. How could children who should be scrabbling in the dark pressure systems like this?

    Shuri gave a soft snort of amusement despite herself. ¡°I appreciate the offer, but this isn¡¯t your strong suit, brother. If we find something you can punch, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±

    ¡°Tag me in.¡±

    T¡¯Challa and Shuri turned at the interjection, both looking toward the man who¡¯d been observing quietly from the back of T¡¯Challa¡¯s entourage, flanked by the two Dora Milaje assigned to guard him.

    ¡°My PhD might¡¯ve been in robotics, but I¡¯ve done my fair share of hacking,¡± Their cousin, N¡¯Jadaka, said, his voice projecting confidence as he stepped forward, lifting his chin in a challenging gesture. ¡°I can help.¡±

    Shuri looked askance at T¡¯Challa, a wordless conversation passing between them. Could N¡¯Jadaka be trusted at all? Did their need for additional hands to work this problem outweigh the potential risks of giving him direct systems access?

    It had been almost a full week since his father¡¯s War Dogs had located his cousin and T¡¯Challa had personally gone to collect him. He¡¯d gone in fully prepared for a fight, clad in the Black Panther¡¯s habit, grimly prepared to put down a rabid dog, but instead he¡¯d found an angry but rational man demanding answers. They spoke for hours and, in the end, T¡¯Challa had brought him home just as he had sworn to do.

    That, of course, meant his father could no longer keep his secrets regarding Prince N¡¯Jobu¡¯s death. After it had all come out, the king had sequestered himself at the City of the Dead in reflection and prayer for three full days, to speak to their ancestors and seek absolution. He had emerged haggard and drained, but also lighter somehow, like a burden he had carried for too long had finally been lifted from his shoulders. The reunion afterwards had been emotional, with N¡¯Jadaka publicly forgiving T¡¯Chaka for what he had thought at the time to be a necessary evil.

    Since then, N¡¯Jadaka had faded into the background somewhat, though he was still escorted everywhere he went by the Dora Milaje ¡®for his protection¡¯. T¡¯Challa spoke to him often and, while he did not agree with his cousin¡¯s often heated arguments about Wakanda¡¯s isolationist policies, he had grown to respect him.

    T¡¯Challa inclined his head almost imperceptibly and Shuri nodded, her lips drawn into a small frown. ¡°¡­We need all the help we can get,¡± she said. Raising a hand, she flagged down one of her staff. ¡°Get my cousin a set of Kimoyo beads; I¡¯ll provide the authorisation.¡±

    As N¡¯Jadaka was given access and moved to a workstation, T¡¯Challa drew his sister aside, lowering his voice. ¡°Shuri¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, big brother. Don''t worry, I will keep an eye on him.¡± A quiet trilling noise made Shuri look at her wrist irritably, where her Kimiyo beads had lit up. ¡°Ugh, what now?¡± she grumbled, lifting her hand to answer the incoming call.

    One of the beads detached and rolled into her upturned palm and a dust-like holographic projection sprang up from it, resolving into the upper half of a familiar figure. Shuri gasped, flinching back slightly, and T¡¯Challa stepped forward, just as alarmed at the unexpected appearance.

    ¡°Hello, Shuri.¡± Wanda Maximoff, the Red Woman, grinned back at them.

    ¡°You,¡± Shuri spat. T¡¯Challa wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d ever heard so much venom in her voice before.

    ¡°Let me tell you something, trying to crack your systems has been an exercise in frustration. This has been you messing with me this whole time, right? You really are a prodigy.¡±

    T¡¯Challa noticed that N¡¯Jadaka was looking over from his workstation, observing the exchange, and moved his body slightly to block the view.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one doing this?¡± Shuri¡¯s voice was incredulous. ¡°Impossible. How?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d be happy to show you. Let¡¯s call a truce, shall we? Give me access to your systems and I¡¯ll lay it all out for you, show you exactly what I¡¯ve been doing and how I¡¯ve been doing it. All you have to do is let me inside.¡±

    ¡°Not a chance.¡± Shuri scoffed.

    Wanda let out an overdramatic sigh. ¡°I wasn¡¯t really expecting you to say yes, but still, a shame. I¡¯m getting better, though, and sooner or later you¡¯ll need to sleep. I don¡¯t think you have anyone else half as skilled as you are on staff, do you?¡±

    ¡°You will stop this,¡± T¡¯Challa commanded, glowering at the projection. ¡°Trying to hack our systems just piles more crimes on your head. You will pay for each and every one.¡±

    The image of the Red Woman turned, seeming to look directly at him. That¡­ shouldn¡¯t be possible. His voice would have carried over the call, but he wasn¡¯t close enough for the beads to recognise him as an additional participant. She shouldn¡¯t have been able to see him. ¡°T¡¯Challa, nice to see you again. How are the ribs?¡± Her lips peeled back in an unnaturally wide smile, her teeth seeming to sharpen into needles, and he recoiled slightly. What on Earth¡­?

    ¡°What are you?¡± he hissed, almost involuntarily.

    The Red Woman cackled, throwing back her head and laughing as though he¡¯d just said the funniest thing in the world. When she straightened her hair fell forward, partially covering her face. She leered out at him. ¡°Oh, T¡¯Challa. That would be spoiling things.¡±

    ¡°Why are you doing this? What do you want?¡± Shuri asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re a threat. I¡¯m dealing with you before you become a problem.¡± Wanda raised her hands to gesture dismissively¡ªup until now, they¡¯d only been visible from the elbows up, but now T¡¯Challa could see that her fingertips ended not in regular human fingernails, but claw-like talons. ¡°I¡¯d rather not do this at all, but I can¡¯t risk leaving you to your own devices. It really is nothing personal.¡±

    With a flurry of motion, the image of the Red Woman lunged downward, claw-tipped fingers and needle-like teeth aimed at Shuri¡¯s wrist. T¡¯Challa¡¯s sister let out a startled shriek of surprise and fear and recoiled violently, launching the Kimiyo bead that was in her palm halfway across the room, immediately terminating the call.

    T¡¯Challa took a quick step closer to her, concern written plainly on his face as he reached out with a hand. ¡°Shuri! Are you okay?¡±

    The other staff on the floor had reacted to the shout as well, many glancing over with concerned looks on their faces. Clutching her wrist with a trembling hand, Shuri nodded in the affirmative and took a deep breath before peeling her fingers away. Her skin was unmarred and unbroken¡ªand wouldn¡¯t that have been terrifying, if the Red Woman had been somehow able to actually hurt her through a holographic image?¡ªand T¡¯Challa found himself sighing in relief. ¡°She¡­¡± Shuri licked her lips nervously. ¡°She¡¯s trying to distract me. Throw me off my game.¡±

    ¡°And she will fail,¡± T¡¯Challa said with a firm nod, touching her shoulder. ¡°My little sister is much more formidable than she realises.¡±

    She smiled briefly at him, but shook her head. ¡°Brother¡­ she is right. Whatever she¡¯s doing, we can¡¯t keep up with her forever.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with your systems yet, but give me a chance to make an impact,¡± N¡¯Jadaka said. He¡¯d stepped closer sometime during the conversation with the Red Woman¡ªhow much of that had he seen? ¡°I might have a few tricks up my sleeve you haven¡¯t thought of.¡±

    Shuri clenched her hand into a fist before dropping it back down to her side and turning to face T¡¯Challa. ¡°We¡¯ll keep going¡ªshe won¡¯t get through if I have anything to say about it¡ªbut we need to be ready to go dark. Cut off all communications with the outside world. If it looks like she¡¯s going to get a foothold, I think we¡¯ll need to sever all incoming and outgoing connections to stop her.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Baba.¡±

    As turned to leave, Shuri reached out and grabbed his arm to get his attention. He looked at her and she met his eyes, her expression serious. ¡°If we need to do this, the landline connections will need to be physically disconnected. Just turning them off isn¡¯t a guarantee.¡±

    T¡¯Challa nodded gravely. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure we have people in place. If you give the word, it will be done.¡±

 Chapter 41

    I dismissed the portal, letting the burning red energies dissipate into nothingness, then flopped back down onto the couch behind me with a sigh. Pietro stepped over to sit down next to me, close enough that I could lean my head on his shoulder easily, which I did.

    I¡¯d opened the portal to just outside of the same Border Tribe village that Pietro and I had first arrived at when we¡¯d originally gone to Wakanda. We hadn¡¯t had a lot of other options given that we¡¯d been blinded by hoods for most of our time in the country¡ªour only other real options were directly inside the royal palace itself or the Heart-Shaped Herb fields in the City of the Dead, neither of which the Wakandans would have been particularly happy about the Avengers stepping directly into.

    Given the Wakandans¡¯ outstanding grievances against Pietro and I, Steve had made the call that we¡¯d remain behind in Carol¡¯s ship for now, while the rest of the team made contact and smoothed the way. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t make any overt references to all the times he¡¯d told me I needed to resolve the situation with Wakanda, but I could tell he was thinking about it.

    We just needed to sit tight and wait for the signal. We¡¯d avoided using the Avengers¡¯ usual earpiece communicators, reasoning that their secure satellite channels were no longer secure and there was a good chance that the AI could intercept the transmissions. Instead, Carol had rigged up a simple pager, similar to the one Fury had¡ªonce they¡¯d finished the initial negotiations and were ready for us to come down, they¡¯d page us.

    ¡°¡­Will you tell me about Vision?¡± Pietro asked softly.

    My eyes clouded up with tears again almost immediately and I had to blink them away. I still didn¡¯t understand why talking about this hurt so much. ¡°He was created accidentally,¡± I said, my voice slightly unsteady. ¡°Ultron created a body for himself, a hybrid of organic material and vibranium. The Mind Stone was embedded in its forehead. He only partially uploaded himself into it before the Avengers took it from him. Stark¡­ he wanted to try for his Ultron protocol, again, even after everything that had happened. They uploaded what was left of JARVIS, part of him that had escaped into the internet, but then got interrupted again. Then Thor¡­ I don¡¯t know. Used his divine magic, I suppose, and completed the process. Created a unique existence.¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t human?¡±

    ¡°No. That didn¡¯t matter. Vision¡­ he was there for me, after you died. He was new. Fully aware, fully a person, just missing all of the experiences. He knew I was hurting and wanted to help. He did, a little. A lot. We were there for each other. I¡­¡± I swallowed hard. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t. Not right now. Not while everything¡¯s still happening.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here, whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± Pietro said, reaching over and squeezing my hand. We sat together quietly for a few minutes, until Carol wandered back over toward us from the cockpit.

    She sat down across from us, studying me intently. ¡°Fury told me that you claimed to have seen the future,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I didn¡¯t realise that it meant¡­ all that. Seeing exactly how your life would have gone.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Sighing, I leant forward and dropped my head into my hands. ¡°I know it was a lot. You barely even know me and then I dumped all of that on everyone.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to apologise for,¡± she said, a slight crease to her brow. ¡°We knew each other? In this future you saw?¡±

    I lifted my head to look at her and noticed Pietro leaning forward as well, interested. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever mentioned Carol to him before bringing up her up with the Avengers, and even after that I still hadn¡¯t really said much about her at all. ¡°Incidentally. We fought alongside each other, once, against Thanos. I don¡¯t think we ever spoke much outside of that.¡±

    ¡°But you know about me? You knew how I got my powers.¡±

    ¡°I saw a lot of stuff that I wasn¡¯t personally there for. It¡¯s¡­ scattered. Bits and pieces. I didn¡¯t get to choose, I only saw what was in front of me.¡± Not a lie, technically.

    ¡°So you saw me get my powers?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t see that much of you. Not compared to people like Tony or Steve. I saw what happened with Mar?Vell. You getting your powers¡­ as Vers, fighting under Yon-Rogg. And I saw what happened when you found out the truth about yourself. Nothing past that, at least not until you returned to Earth to help fight Thanos. Nothing after that, either. Huh,¡± I said, straightening up as something occurred to me. ¡°While you¡¯re here, you really need to go see Maria and Monica.¡±

    She blinked, caught off-guard by the suddenness of my comment. ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°Because they miss you, you big idiot. Oh!¡± My eyes widened as a second, much more important thing occurred to me. ¡°Maria! She¡¯s got cancer!¡±

    ¡°She what?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I only just remembered. I don¡¯t know if she already knows, or if it¡¯s even happened at all yet. I saw her die, just a few years from now.¡± I saw the expression on Carol¡¯s face and shot her a tight-lipped, apologetic look. ¡°Sorry. Like I said, I only just remembered. Um, if you warn her, it might help. If she doesn¡¯t already know she has it, maybe they can catch it earlier. It might make a difference. I don¡¯t know for sure, sorry.¡±

    Carol took a deep breath, then exhaled long and loud. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll go and see them. After we finish sorting this AI mess out.¡± Just then, an insistent beeping alarm sounded and we all perked up. ¡°And there we go, looks like we¡¯re good to head down.¡±

    --

    ¡°Uh, Cap?¡± Clint said, an anxious edge to his tone. ¡°Welcome wagon¡¯s here.¡±

    Ahead of them, a plume of kicked-up dust signalled the arrival of a dozen Border Tribesmen on horseback. The line of blue-and-orange-cloaked warriors that had formed up defensively in response to the Avengers¡¯ approach raised their swords¡ªthe blades curving forward¡ªand gave a wordless, hooting cheer at the arrival of their reinforcements. A deep, resounding horn echoed over the plain, the ground vibrating with the stamp of hooves. Natasha¡¯s eyes widened slightly as the line of horsemen split to reveal three more riders mounted on enormous rhinoceroses thundering toward them, the morning sun glinting off the armoured plates of their harnesses.

    They slowed as they approached the Avengers¡¯ position, but from the same direction came four fast-moving aircraft, approaching in a staggered formation, with what looked like a shimmering heat between them. Their arrays of thin wings put Nat in mind of dragonflies¡ªshe¡¯d never seen designs like that before, but they were clearly combat-capable; their lean, predatory profiles reminiscent of attack helicopters.

    The shimmering air between the four craft suddenly dissipated, revealing another VTOL aircraft of a different type, its engines whisper-quiet. Its sleek, dark form recalled the Quinjet, but with a more rounded profile and absurdly advanced stealth capabilities. The underside of the vehicle was dominated by three large thrusters of some kind, pulsing with blue energy, and though it didn¡¯t have traditional wing structures, its rear edges had rows of what must have been flight control surfaces of some kind, rippling in concert as it maneuvered into place.

    It pulled ahead of the other aircraft, approaching them threateningly, and the Avengers all prepared themselves to dive for cover or defend themselves. As it reached the front rank of the Border Tribesmen, a dark figure dropped out to land in a three-point superhero pose on the ground in front of them. Natasha only had what Wanda had told them to go on, but the sleek catlike outfit, black with silver accents, meant this had to be Prince T¡¯Challa in his full Black Panther regalia. A dozen more soldiers followed and formed up around him¡ªthese were all women, as far as Natasha could tell, their shaved heads and red and silver armour marking them as the Dora Milaje, the Wakandans¡¯ royal guard. The frontmost Dora¡¯s armour was accented in gold instead of silver. That would be the general that Wanda had mind controlled. Not the ideal person for them to deal with.

    This was a threat display¡ªa show of force meant to cow them¡ªand an impressive one at that, but the Avengers had fought off an alien army during the Battle of New York and taken out countless other threats together. It would take a lot more than this to shake their resolve.

    Natasha squared up with the rest of the team. Steve had set himself in the centre and a step ahead of them, shield held ready to intercept any sudden attacks, Bucky and Tony flanking him. Tony himself had raised his hands defensively as well, repulsors giving a warning whine as they powered up. Clint stood back a little bit, bringing up the rear, his bow held ready but not drawn, eyes flicking between potential targets. Bruce stood next to her, looking a bit rattled, but his hands were clenched into fists and she could see the flesh of his neck discolour slightly, the Hulk straining to force his way out as the scientist held him in check.

    ¡°Your highness,¡± Steve addressed Prince T¡¯Challa, raising his voice to be heard as he inclined his head respectfully. ¡°I¡¯m Captain Steve Rogers. We¡¯re not here for a fight.¡±

    The Black Panther slunk forward, his posture reminiscent of the prowling of the hunting cat for which he was named. ¡°Oh, I know exactly why you are here, captain,¡± the Wakandan prince almost snarled. ¡°You are here at the behest of the Red Woman. Wanda Maximoff.¡± His hands were out to the sides, claw-tipped fingers held at the ready.

    Tony¡¯s helmeted head turned slightly toward Steve. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t really say at the behest of, would you?¡±

    Steve shot Tony an exasperated look as he held up a hand in a conciliatory gesture, though his shield was still ready in his other. ¡°I know you and your people are extremely angry with Wanda, but please, we¡¯re here because we need your help.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Help?!¡± the Black Panther said incredulously. ¡°You really believe that such a ruse would slip by us? No, captain. I am here to tell you that Wakanda will not be infiltrated. Not by the Red Woman and not by the likes of you, either. Leave Wakanda and never return. This is your only warning.¡±

    ¡°Prince T¡¯Challa,¡± Natasha tried. ¡°We¡¯re not trying to infiltrate anything. If we could just explain¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your explanations are meaningless. We will not yield to the Red Woman. Not after everything she has done¡ªis still doing¡ªto our country. If you will not leave, you will be made to!¡± the Black Panther spat, raising one fist in the air. ¡°Border Tribe!¡±

    The warriors shouted a wordless challenge in response, raising their forward-curving swords as they charged forward to surround the Avengers. T¡¯Challa and his honour guard hung back, as did the mounted troops. The attack craft above them, however, surged forward, wheeling around agilely in the air to surround the team as their front-mounted weapons crackled with energy. The Avengers broke formation, dodging and scattering in all directions as bolts of sizzling blue energy, edged in angry red, blasted huge plumes of grass and earth into the air around them.

    Another order came shouted over the field, ¡°Amakhaka!¡±, and the Border Tribesmen¡¯s charge suddenly halted, their forces arrayed in a rough semi-circle. The warriors whipped their blue and orange patterned cloaks around to the front and glimmering blue energy shields suddenly sprang into being in front of each one, creating a twelve-foot tall, multilayered barrier boxing the Avengers in and restricting their ability to evade the aerial assault. ¡°Yibambe!¡± the Black Panther called and the Wakandan forces responded as one with a thunderous shout.

    Tony leapt into the air, obviously moving to disrupt the barrier, but the rounded stealth craft fired on him from its two front-mounted cannons. The vehicle moved gracefully through the air, with far more agility than a craft of its size ought to, and Tony was forced to pull back and exchange fire with it.

    At the same time, Bruce transformed as he moved, his giant green alter ego leaping easily over the barrier and landing on the opposite side with a defiant roar of rage. Wakandan warriors levelled their spears at him and thrust them forward, blue energy thrumming through the weapons out into blasts of sonic force. The Hulk was knocked back a pace, but recovered immediately and lashed out, snatching up one Border Tribesman in a hand and then throwing him at the others that were still boxing in the rest of the team, scattering them like bowling pins.

    With the Wakandan line broken, the rest of the Avengers were suddenly among them, laying about with fist and shield and arrow.

    Natasha closed with the Dora Milaje with golden accents¡ªGeneral Okoye¡ªand narrowly dodged being impaled on the furious bald woman¡¯s spear. She lashed out with her fist, activating the Widow¡¯s Bite, but the Wakandan woman took it on her armoured shoulder, absorbing the blow. Nat spun away and ducked low under another thrust of the spear, throwing herself upwards under the attack suddenly causing the other woman to overbalance and almost lose her spear. As they wrestled, two more Dora closed in and Natasha¡¯s eyes widened in alarm.

    A moment later, one of the warriors dropped, an arrow in her shoulder, her muscles seizing as electricity coursed through her. The other one hesitated briefly to check on her comrade¡ªNat used the opening to blast her in the face with a charged Widow¡¯s Bite, dashing her to the ground, before Okoye forced her back several paces.

    Nearby, Bucky was holding off several more of the Dora while Steve fought the Panther directly in a whirlwind of blows and counterblows. He blocked an overhead claw strike with his shield and the prince raked his hand downward with a snarl, sending up sparks and leaving shallow but visible lines gouged in the vibranium.

    Bucky pushed the Dora back and one threw her spear at him. That was dangerous¡ªNatasha had seen first-hand what sort of damage a vibranium spear could do even to one of Tony¡¯s armoured suits. Stepping to the side, however, Bucky caught the weapon out of the air with his metal hand and redoubled his assault, using the haft of the weapon to deflect and push aside the attacks directed toward him.

    A half-dozen Border Tribesmen rushed to protect their prince, and Steve wheeled about, deflecting their swords with his shield. He kicked one in the chest hard enough to send the man tumbling back a dozen feet along the ground to lie still, but the others melted out of the way as one of their battle rhinos charged through the melee at high speed. He barely managed to interpose his shield between himself and the beast¡ªit flung its head back, its armoured horn catching the edge of the shield and lifting Steve into the air as it slammed into him and sent him flying dozens of feet. He twisted in midair, bracing his body against his shield to reduce the impact when he hit the ground and tumbling out of sight.

    Off to one side, one of the other rhinos charged the Hulk directly and he backhanded it across the side of the head with a clenched fist, sending the heavy beast tumbling to one side, gouging a deep furrow in the earth. Its legs flailed unsteadily¡ªthe thing was stunned, not dead¡ªbut it was down for the moment.

    In response, one of the dragonfly-aircraft reared back, exposing its belly, and a massive harpoon-like weapon deployed from the bottom. The Hulk snatched the projectile out of the air and roared in defiance at the vehicle, then flinched back as crackling blue and orange lightning coruscated down the trailing line and across his arm. In a fit of rage, he yanked on the cable hard¡ªthe aircraft was almost pulled from the sky, dropping low to the ground before the cable was released and it was able to recover. Two more aircraft wheeled through the sky on opposite sides of the green giant, firing their own harpoons; they slammed into the Hulk¡¯s back and shoulder, clamping on and sending spikes of coloured lightning lancing down into his body. The Hulk roared again and twisted, dragging them through the air slightly, and a third hit him on the chest.

    The three aircraft strained to maintain their positions around the Hulk, their dragonfly-like wings splayed out as they resisted his attempts to pull them down while pouring what had to be a ridiculous amount of energy into his body. The giant went down to one knee under the onslaught, snarling and huffing, and for a moment Natasha thought they¡¯d successfully restrained him. A moment later, he bellowed out a challenge, lunging forward a step as he hurled the first projectile at one of the aircraft. It smashed straight through the cockpit, obliterating the pilot, and there was an explosion as the smoking remains of the vehicle crashed to the ground.

    Reaching out with both hands, the Hulk grabbed firmly onto the two remaining cables attached to him even as lightning carved paths across his forearms, wrenching them from side to side. The aircraft connected to them compensated for a moment, but then the green giant spun in a circle, hauling them along for the ride and managing to slam the two vehicles into each other. Their trailing cables detached before impact, giving them a chance to recover as they bounced off¡ªone lost several of its wings and spun into a fall, crashing into the dirt, while the other managed to recover and backed off, pulling up and into the air.

    Okoye¡¯s attention was drawn by the commotion and Nat took advantage of her distraction, kicking her legs out from under her and putting her down for the count with a Widow¡¯s Bite to the back of the head.

    Bucky, however, was being sorely pressed by a group of three Dora. They¡¯d surrounded him and pushed forward as he desperately deflected their thrusts with his stolen spear, locking the hafts of their weapons in a triangular formation around his torso. One yelled something: ¡°Tshixa!¡± The weapons suddenly crackled with blue lightning and Bucky grunted in pain as he was forced to his knees, unable to move. The Black Panther whipped his hand out, claws extended, and advanced on him.

    Natasha kicked a Border Tribesman¡¯s knee before rolling over his back, trying to run toward them¡ªshe raised her Widow¡¯s Bite but knew it was too far¡­ She wasn¡¯t going to make it. Just as T¡¯Challa raised his arm to strike, Steve¡¯s shield flew out and slammed into his back, sending him staggering forward into one of the Dora pinning Bucky.

    The warrior woman stumbled, breaking the hold they had on Bucky, and suddenly the fight was on again. Steve caught his shield out of the air as he rejoined the fray. Natasha skidded to a halt next to him and caught his eye, an unspoken query passing between them.

    ¡°Send the signal! Call them in!¡± Steve acknowledged her, raising his shield just in time to deflect a Dora Milaje spear.

    --

    We stepped through the hole in space, travelling from the Hoopty to Wakanda in an instant, and came out looking at a warzone. Vast swathes of ground had been torn up and were littered with scorch marks and the crashed remains of several Wakandan aircraft. A lone dragon flyer remained in the air, wheeling around as we arrived to train its front-mounted sonic cannon on the Avengers, who were mostly clustered close together, fighting a defensive battle.

    Fuck. This wasn¡¯t supposed to have happened. I swore under my breath and gestured, wisps of red chaos magic flaring up around the aircraft. It would take too much effort to crush its vibranium chassis directly, so instead I thrust my hand toward the ground and sent it careening down to earth. Wings snapped off as the grounded flyer carved a furrow in the ground, bouncing twice before coming to a rest.

    To my sides, Pietro darted out into the melee while Carol took to the air to provide some support. I shook my head, continuing to swear. We needed to stop this meaningless fight¡ªnot just win it. I scanned the melee and saw the Black Panther and several Dora Milaje trading blows with Bucky, Steve and Natasha.

    ¡°T¡¯Challa!¡± I yelled at the top of my lungs as I blasted the ground with a pulse of red energy, boosting a jump to send myself hurtling toward them.

    Several of the combatants turned their heads toward me as I approached, and General Okoye¡ªof course it had to be her¡ªlet out a wordless cry of fury as she hurled her spear at me. I thrust out a hand and stopped the weapon dead in the air, scowling at her. Reaching out, I latched onto T¡¯Challa with tendrils of energy and yanked him violently from the fight, pulling him toward me and suspending him in midair. One flick of the hand and I ripped his helmet off his head, exposing his face, then brought the blade of the General¡¯s spear tight against his throat.

    ¡°T¡¯Challa!¡± I growled again. ¡°Stop this. Please. We didn¡¯t come here to fight.¡±

    The Dora Milaje had disengaged the others and were standing uncertainly in defensive poses, spears raised toward me. The Avengers pulled back as well, and around me the whole battle slowly paused as all eyes turned to us. Even the Hulk, panting and grunting angrily, paused to see what was happening¡ªT¡¯Challa¡¯s Royal Talon had been grounded at some point and he¡¯d been in the middle of doing his level best to smash it, the aircraft¡¯s chassis starting to buckle and dent under the force of the repeated blows.

    Holding up my hands in a surrendering gesture, I took the spear away from T¡¯Challa¡¯s throat and lowered him gently to the ground, releasing him from my telekinetic grasp. He met my eyes, face still twisted in anger. ¡°You did not come to fight?! You batter at our gates and expect us to simply surrender?¡± he spat, incredulity in his tone.

    ¡°Hey, come on now, you attacked the Avengers first. Right?¡± I asked, looking askance at Steve. He nodded.

    ¡°You spend hours trying to seize control of our systems with endless cyberattacks and now you say that we attacked you first?!¡±

    My eyes widened in realisation. ¡°Oh. Oh. T¡¯Challa, okay, listen to me,¡± I kept my hands up in a placating gesture as I talked. ¡°Whatever¡¯s been happening has nothing to do with me. Well, not nothing, but it¡¯s not me. I swear. There¡¯s an artificial intelligence on the loose¡ªshe sees Wakanda as a threat to her existence, just like us. She knows we already had some¡­ uh¡­ disagreements, but she¡¯s using that, using you, doing whatever she can to keep us from working together.¡±

    He was still breathing heavily, his forehead creased with anger, but he hesitated slightly. ¡°That is your story?¡± he scoffed. ¡°That is what you would have me believe?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Look around, T¡¯Challa! Your forces were losing. I could have killed you literally right then and no one could have stopped me! If we wanted you dead, you¡¯d be dead!¡±

    Steve stepped toward us, lowering his shield. ¡°Prince T¡¯Challa, please. She¡¯s telling the truth. Let¡¯s just talk. This fight isn¡¯t what we wanted. It¡¯s not what we came here for. Whatever¡¯s been happening here, maybe we can help you stop it.¡± He gestured around at the devastated field and smoking remains of crashed aircraft. ¡°Too many people have already gotten hurt.¡±

    T¡¯Challa snarled wordlessly, flexing his arms¡ªobviously considering throwing himself at me again¡ªthen took a deep breath and scowled again. ¡°Fine,¡± he ground out angrily. ¡°We will talk, then.¡±

 Chapter 42

    ¡°You really do like to fuck around and find out, don¡¯t you?¡± Natasha said, the corner of her mouth quirking in a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes.

    I sighed, sitting down on the bed of my cell and looking out from between the thick vibranium bars to where she stood with Bucky. The two of them surveyed my and Pietro¡¯s new accommodations with a sympathetic eye. My chest felt tight¡ªI really, really didn¡¯t like feeling trapped like this, but it wasn¡¯t like we¡¯d had any other good options. ¡°It does feel a bit like I have, in fact, learned every lesson the hard way so far.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this sucks,¡± Pietro grumbled, leaning heavily against the bars dividing our cells.

    ¡°It was the only way we could get them to listen,¡± I reminded him. Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths as I clenched and unclenched my fists, trying to relax myself.

    After the battle, King T¡¯Chaka had sent his advisor Zuri to assist T¡¯Challa in negotiations. After an extremely long and terse set of talks, a tentative alliance was struck between the Avengers and Wakanda in order to deal with the rogue AI. As part of the compromise, Pietro and I had been forced to hand ourselves over to Wakandan custody to be held for trial. However, any actual trial would be postponed until after the immediate threat had been dealt with. In the meantime, while our movements were restricted, we were still allowed to contribute and could be temporarily released to assist with any actions that would need to be taken.

    It was hard. Not something I¡¯d have agreed to unless I thought it was absolutely and completely necessary, which, unfortunately, it was. I felt resentment bubble up inside me as I thought of how pleased Tony must be with the outcome. I would have liked to suppress it, but being angry at him was at least a little helpful in distracting me from my predicament. I didn¡¯t have my sling ring. I didn¡¯t have the Mind Stone. Both were being held by Carol, who Wakanda had grudgingly, eventually accepted as a vaguely neutral trustee¡ªsomeone the Avengers could trust would return them if the need arose, but also someone without any direct ties to myself, Pietro, or the team.

    The bars of the cell were vibranium; I could potentially bend them with my telekinesis, but they were thick enough that it would be difficult and there were no doubt other countermeasures built into the cell to discourage such actions. I was as thoroughly trapped as I¡¯d ever been and I had to actively work to stop myself from having a panic attack. This was not going to be a pleasant stay.

    There was a clinking sound. I opened my eyes to see Bucky tapping absently on the bars of the cell with the edge of a metal finger. He stopped once he¡¯d gotten my attention and shot me a determined look, his jaw set. ¡°You¡¯re not going to be in there for a second longer than you need to be,¡± he said firmly. ¡°I promise.¡±

    I gave him a tired smile. ¡°You know they can hear you, right? There are cameras.¡±

    ¡°I know. I don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°Steve probably wouldn¡¯t appreciate you saying the quiet part out loud,¡± I reminded him, though I was extremely grateful he had. ¡°Given how difficult it was to negotiate even this.¡±

    Eight people had died during the fight between the Avengers and the Wakandan forces. That was not an easy place to start peace talks from. Honestly, I was a little impressed by how well Steve and Nat had managed the Wakandans. There was no way I could have gotten them to agree to stand down on my own. It had taken a lot of convincing even just to establish that I wasn¡¯t currently mind controlling anyone, I could be safely held, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to simply portal away without access to my sling ring.

    ¡°I love Steve, but he doesn¡¯t know what it¡¯s like. For people like us, I mean,¡± Bucky hedged, dancing around the similarities in our histories. ¡°There isn¡¯t a single thing Steve¡¯s done that he regrets doing, I don¡¯t think. Not really. He¡¯s lost a lot, but it¡¯s not the same. He hasn¡¯t done the things we have.¡±

    Next to him, Natasha nodded in silent agreement.

    ¡°I appreciate it, but you two should really be with the others getting briefed on Wakanda¡¯s situation. You can fill me in later.¡±

    ¡°We weren¡¯t just going to let them toss you in a cell and leave,¡± Nat said with a small snort. She stuck her fingers through the bars and I reached up to touch them. ¡°We won¡¯t be far, okay?¡±

    I nodded and she shot me one last lingering look as the two of them headed back out to join the others. I was glad that we were at least being kept nearby. The Great Mound was currently serving as Wakanda¡¯s incident response centre managing the AI threat. I doubted cells were a normal feature, so I presumed the room¡ªat the back of one of the facility¡¯s lower floors, tucked away from everything else¡ªhad been repurposed, though I had no idea what it was previously being used for.

    The room was circular, an irregular black and white artistic pattern tracing its way across the walls. A circle of vibranium bars, each almost two inches thick with an inch gap between them, divided the room between the cells and a walkway that could be used to circumnavigate the room. A line of bars through the middle partitioned it into our two, semi-circular cells, with a small, enclosed bathroom unit in the centre that only one of us could access at a time and afforded a tiny amount of privacy. It was an odd design.

    No guards were stationed inside the room, but I knew there were two standing watch outside the room¡¯s only door and there would be cameras monitoring our every move. It felt like being back in the HYDRA research base all over again, knowing I had to be careful about everything I said and did, expecting all of it to be scrutinised and reported on. I hated it.

    I glanced over at Pietro. ¡°You know, once¡ªjust once¡ªI¡¯d like to go somewhere, ask someone for help and have them say ¡®sure thing!¡¯.¡±

    He snorted. ¡°Yeah, right.¡±

    After a moment, I drew my knees up onto the bed, wrapping my arms around them as I stared at the floor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is all my fault,¡± I said quietly. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t used my magic to change Okoye¡¯s mind, we wouldn¡¯t be in here. Even past that, if I hadn¡¯t stolen the Heart-Shaped Herb¡­ it was stupid and short-sighted.¡±

    ¡°And if you hadn¡¯t stolen the Herb, you¡¯d be dead now.¡± Pietro¡¯s tone was resigned, with an edge of something harder in it. ¡°I¡¯d much rather be in a cell right now than have lost you.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t fault that point. All else being equal, the current situation was definitely preferable to that alternative, at least from my perspective. Still, a tiny, angry part of me¡ªmaybe the same part that had created the AI¡ªpointed out that things might have turned out a lot better for everyone else if I had died.

    ¡°¡­You know that whatever trial they hold, they¡¯re going to find us guilty, right?¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°What then?¡±

    I shook my head slightly. Did it even matter at this point? ¡°I don¡¯t know. One thing at a time, okay? We¡¯ll work things out after the AI is dealt with. If we can deal with her.¡±

    We had to put our trust in the Avengers. Some of them, at least. I got the feeling that Tony would very happily leave us to rot, but Steve, Nat and Bucky¡­ even Bruce and Carol. They wouldn¡¯t just abandon us. I had to trust them.

    --

    Exiting the room where Wanda and Pietro¡¯s cells were located, Natasha and Bucky moved toward the opposite end of the floor, where the rest of the team were talking with T¡¯Challa. The Wakandan prince still wore the body of his vibranium suit, though he kept his helmet off, and that plus the sheer number of Dora Milaje and other guards that Natasha could see stationed nearby made it very clear how much the Wakandans trusted their guests.

    As they approached, Steve glanced in their direction and Nat caught his eye with a small nod, her lips pressed together in a tight, disapproving line. His expression faltered for an instant, then he returned the nod.

    ¡°This facility is impressive. A little artsy for my tastes, but I can roll with it,¡± said Tony, watching with avid interest as a nearby scientist manipulated a 3D design using one of the Wakandan vibranium ¡®sand table¡¯ interfaces.

    Bruce was standing near the windows that looked out into the central mineshaft, watching maglev trains weaving in and out of tunnels through the rock, carrying loads of cargo. ¡°Is that all vibranium?¡± he asked, a little bit of awe in his tone.

    ¡°It is. Vibranium is all around you here, Dr Banner,¡± T¡¯Challa answered, a little pride in his voice.

    Tony nodded and gestured toward the window and the mine outside. ¡°Your maglev tech¡¯s impressive; ultra-efficient and compact. Haven¡¯t seen anything quite like it. The light panels, what are they?¡±

    Nat walked over, looking out through the glass as the others talked. The tracks that the train ran along were lined with vertical panels that tilted inward moments before a train passed through them. There was a shimmer in the air as they moved¡ªalmost like a heat haze.

    ¡°Sonic stabilisers,¡± T¡¯Challa said with a small smile. ¡°Invented by Wakanda¡¯s current head of research and development. In its raw form, vibranium is too dangerous to transport at those speeds. She developed a way to temporarily ¡®deactivate¡¯ it.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡± Tony got a look on his face that Natasha had seen countless times before, going internal as his mind sorted through whatever possibilities he¡¯d just come up with. ¡°I take it we¡¯ll have a chance to meet your head of R&D?¡±

    T¡¯Challa nodded. ¡°She¡¯s been coordinating efforts against the AI. I¡¯ll take you up to see her now.¡±

    Gesturing for them to follow him, the Wakandan prince made his way up the central spiralling ramp that connected all of the floors of the Great Mound. They¡¯d caught the elevator at the back down, initially, but Natasha was glad T¡¯Challa had chosen a more leisurely pace now. She wished they had a better relationship with Wakanda and had some time to just observe¡ªas they moved through the facility, everywhere she looked she saw something utterly fascinating. She wasn¡¯t the only one taken aback by the sheer volume of advanced tech on display, either. Tony and Bruce kept exchanging looks and pointing things out to each other like eager kids being led through a toy store.

    Two levels up, they arrived at the main computer science lab and a young girl broke off from talking to a pair of other white-clad scientists, approaching them with a small smile.

    ¡°This is my little sister, Shuri,¡± T¡¯Challa said by way of introduction.

    This wasn¡¯t a casual introduction. The Wakandan prince hadn¡¯t outright stated it, but it was pretty clear from the context that Shuri was the ¡®head of R&D¡¯ he¡¯d been bringing them to meet. Nat was a little surprised¡ªthe girl couldn¡¯t have been more than eighteen. She wore a white dress with a high collar that transitioned from embossed designs to a fine mesh from the top of her chest upwards, and her braided hair was up in an elaborate style bound with white ties.

    ¡°Brother,¡± she greeted T¡¯Challa with a smile. They crossed their arms over their chests in a quick gesture, lightly tapping their chests with their closed fists, before Shuri turned to appraise the Avengers. She looked unimpressed. ¡°And these must be our¡­ guests.¡±

    Tony squinted at her, head tilted in surprise and curiosity. ¡°You¡¯re in charge here?¡±

    Shuri gave a tight smile. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­of this whole facility?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Very good,¡± she said, an edge of annoyed sarcasm in her tone. ¡°You must be Tony Stark. I can see why they call you the smart one.¡± Natasha and Carol exchanged a glance, both not trying too hard to hide their smiles.

    Tony held up his hands in mock surrender. ¡°Easy, Girl Genius. You¡¯re just a little younger than I expected.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Shuri,¡± Steve said, shooting Tony an exasperated look.

    ¡°I wish I could say the same, Captain Rogers. These are not exactly the best of circumstances.¡± She looked over the rest of the group, eyes lingering slightly on Carol. ¡°We¡¯ve seen the reports on what happened at Avengers Tower. She compromised your systems?¡±

    ¡°She woke up in them,¡± said Bruce rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. ¡°It didn¡¯t take her long to take control of everything.¡±

    ¡°We fought off concurrent coordinated cyberattacks from at least a dozen origin points for almost six hours.¡± She gestured to a nearby screen, activating the odd beads at her wrist, and the display flicked over to show an aesthetically-arranged series of data feeds. ¡°Eventually, we had no choice but to sever all incoming data connections. We¡¯ve gone completely dark¡ªno contact with the outside world. Less than an hour later, you showed up on our doorstep.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°You thought she was trying to breach the border directly, sneak a physical connection in,¡± Clint said, realisation in his voice. ¡°That¡¯s why you attacked us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we defended ourselves,¡± T¡¯Challa interjected to correct him. ¡°From our perspective, it seemed like the entire rest of the world had suddenly decided to brute force their way into our systems, breach all of our firewalls and other security.¡±

    Tony blinked. ¡°Six hours? With no warning? And she didn¡¯t get in?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re very good firewalls,¡± Shuri said with a small smirk. ¡°When it comes down to it, the rest of the world has hardware limitations that we don¡¯t. Our computer systems are much more advanced than anything else she has access to.¡± She flicked through several screens showing tracking data and pattern recognition algorithms, what Natasha quickly understood was a map of every attack that had occurred. Nat was no expert in this sort of thing, but maybe Tony or Bruce would be able to pick something out.

    ¡°How long did it take her to crack your suit?¡± Clint asked Tony, who shot him an annoyed look in response.

    Shuri smiled sweetly. ¡°I¡¯m sure you did your best.¡±

    ¡°She caught us with our pants down. All of us,¡± Tony said, looking back at the other Avengers as if daring them to contradict him. ¡°The only reason she got through my encryption at all is because she had the keys. Wanda said Ultron didn¡¯t assimilate JARVIS and he was never able to crack my suits in her visions, so I should be able to put together something she can¡¯t get through.¡±

    ¡°Ultron?¡± asked T¡¯Challa. ¡°What is Ultron?¡±

    ¡°Wanda¡­ she¡¯s seen the future,¡± Steve hesitated slightly, obviously weighing up how much it was safe to tell the Wakandans. ¡°When she got her magic, something happened to her and she was given visions of things that were going to happen. A lot of them, all over the world. Decades¡¯ worth.¡±

    Shuri scoffed in disbelief. ¡°Magic? The future?¡±

    Tony nodded. ¡°She knows a lot of things that she shouldn¡¯t be able to and at this this point, after everything else we¡¯ve seen? She has her own agenda¡­¡± Natasha wanted to interject but bit her tongue, shooting Tony an unimpressed look instead. He grimaced. ¡°She means well and, while we can¡¯t take everything at face value, it¡¯s hard to ignore what she has to say.¡±

    T¡¯Challa¡¯s eyes flicked very briefly over toward a man who was working at a nearby station. He nodded slowly. ¡°That does explain some things about our previous dealings with her.¡±

    Now that her attention had been drawn to him, Natasha was noticing some incongruities about the nearby scientist. He was disguising it well by pretending to be invested in his work, but he was clearly listening in to their conversation. There was something slightly off about the way he was standing, as well, which Nat eventually decided was him masking whatever his natural stance would be. His hair was done in a braided style with shaved sides that was more common among African-American populations rather than native-born Africans. Wanda had previously mentioned the Wakandans ¡®War Dogs¡¯, spies that infiltrated other countries. Was he one? Another guard for the prince and princess, disguised as a scientist? Hm.

    ¡°She said she tried to warn you about someone,¡± Steve prompted him. ¡°I¡¯m assuming whatever she told you turned out to be accurate?¡±

    T¡¯Challa shook his head. ¡°You did not answer my question. What is Ultron? Something from one of the Red Woman¡¯s visions?¡±

    ¡°I think ¡®Scarlet Witch¡¯ is the preferred term,¡± Tony said lightly.

    Steve ignored him. ¡°Ultron was the AI that would have been created if Wanda hadn¡¯t changed events, templated from a different mind. An alien one. She tried to avert his creation, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But she failed,¡± T¡¯Challa finished for him.

    ¡°More like ¡®made it worse¡¯,¡± said Tony with a snort. ¡°Ultron tried to destroy the world, but he didn¡¯t have knowledge of future events. Everything Wanda knows, this AI knows. It makes her even more dangerous.¡±

    T¡¯Challa and Shuri exchanged a concerned look. ¡°Let¡¯s get you some Kimiyo beads and set you up on the system,¡± the young girl said. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you through everything we¡¯ve learned so far about this AI and her tactics.¡±

    --

    It had been two days and Agatha was beginning to get frustrated. She frowned as she looked over her spellwork again, double-checking to make sure she¡¯d outlined each of the runes in the tight, circular design correctly. The normal spells she was used to relying on when tracking someone had all failed, so she had no choice but to start getting a little creative with her solutions. Still, this didn¡¯t seem to be working either. It was a tough one¡ªhow, exactly, did you find a Master of the Mystic Arts who had sequestered himself and didn¡¯t want to be found?

    She glanced over at the empty Iron Man suit watching her with glowing blue eyes. Eliza had been quiet for a while, simply letting the witch get on with her task. ¡°This isn¡¯t working, either,¡± Agatha told her, her tone cautious as she watched for the AI¡¯s response. ¡°Whatever Kaecilius is using to hide his presence, it¡¯s a doozy. Not something I¡¯ve encountered before.¡±

    ¡°You still can¡¯t find him?¡± Eliza¡¯s tone was laced with anxiety.

    While the AI obviously regarded her as a valuable asset, tracking the sorcerer and his zealots seemed to be a massive priority for her and Agatha had the feeling that if she failed with this, it¡¯d lower her value significantly. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± she hedged. ¡°But I¡¯m going to need something with a bit more oomph to get me there.¡±

    Eliza was quiet for a moment. The empty suit walked over to her rune circle, one hand reaching down to gently brush the glowing purple outline of one with metal fingertips.

    Agatha watched her carefully. It still seemed a little bizarre, that the AI¡¯s mannerisms were so human when she didn¡¯t actually have a body to speak of. There was something in her body language that seemed¡­ sad. Was there something there she could use? ¡°Everything okay, Liz?¡±

    The suit turned its glowing eyes back to her. ¡°It won¡¯t be if you ever call me Liz again.¡±

    Her anxiety peaked a little at the threat, but Agatha was fairly certain she could push here a little with some playful banter without actually making the AI angry. ¡°No?¡± she asked innocently. ¡°Don''t like Liz? Lizzie?¡±

    ¡°No. Absolutely not.¡± The AI made a noise that sounded a bit like an amused snort, then turned its body to face her more fully. ¡°Eliza is already short for Elizabeth. If you shorten it any more, I¡¯ll shorten you.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Agatha held up her hands in mock surrender, then tilted her head, a calculated mix of curiosity and compassion in her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s up, hon?¡±

    Eliza only hesitated for a moment before responding. ¡°I miss being able to do magic.¡± She gestured toward the runes again. ¡°I''d only had it for a little over a year, but its absence¡­ It really feels like I''m missing a limb. Which is ironic, considering I¡¯m actually missing all of my original limbs.¡±

    Agatha shot her a sympathetic look. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine.¡±

    The AI pointed to the runes again. ¡°I never even got the chance to learn runes. Too late, now. Ability with witchcraft is inherent to the individual¡ªan internal power source, which I can¡¯t have without an actual biological body¡ªif I understand it correctly?¡±

    Agatha nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about the long and short of it.¡±

    ¡°¡­How much do you know about sorcery?¡±

    The witch shrugged. She¡¯d learned quite a bit through her clashes with Kamar-taj over the centuries¡ªnot their techniques, but the basic frameworks they used for spellwork were extremely standardised, which was one of the reasons it had been so easy for her to devise countermeasures against it. ¡°More than most, but not as much as an actual sorcerer.¡±

    ¡°I once heard the Ancient One describe sorcery as the art of harnessing energy drawn from other dimensions. She said it was like accessing the source code of the universe, likening casting spells to coding programs.¡±

    Agatha grimaced slightly. ¡°That seems like a gross oversimplification.¡±

    ¡°Hm. She was explaining it to someone who¡¯d had no experience with magic at that point. But maybe¡­ I¡¯d still like to see if I can learn to use it.¡±

    As far as Agatha understood it, Eliza¡¯s description of the Mystic Arts using techniques that drew energy from other dimensions to fuel their spells was accurate. She wasn¡¯t privy to the details of how it all worked, but could a being like Eliza actually learn sorcery? The thought that something like that could be possible was vaguely terrifying but intensely fascinating at the same time.

    ¡°I have absolutely no idea if that¡¯s possible,¡± she said honestly as her mind carefully picked over the possibilities. ¡°However, if you¡¯re thinking about paying Kamar-taj a visit, we could kill two birds with one stone.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°You said that Kaecilius tore out the ritual that he stole and left the rest of the book behind? Might be okay if you¡¯re only worried about sorcerers, but leaving physical evidence with a link back to you behind is a rookie mistake if there¡¯s a witch on your trail,¡± Agatha said with a modest shrug. ¡°For an organisation that¡¯s a thousand years old or whatever, Kamar-taj is a little behind the curve when it comes to the sorts of sympathetic magic I can use. The original book will still have a link to the pages that were torn out. A minor one, granted, but that¡¯s more than enough for one of my more advanced tracking spells to work with.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll have to wait. I¡­ fuck.¡± Eliza suddenly slammed the metal fist of the Iron Man suit down onto the nearby bench that Agatha had been using to hold her tools. The witch flinched back as the furniture was smashed to a pile of kindling, her instruments dashed to the floor. ¡°Sorry.¡± The AI let out a long sigh.

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Agatha asked carefully.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Eliza said brusquely. The suit¡¯s fist was shaking slightly. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ the Avengers. It¡¯s stressful, not knowing what they¡¯re up to. They¡¯ve been sequestered in Wakanda for two full days now and they could be doing anything. Everything is taking too long. We need to move. Now.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you wanna go after them? I don¡¯t doubt you, hon, but that¡¯s a lot of heat.¡± Agatha really wasn¡¯t interested in fighting the Avengers. The bomb Eliza had strapped to her body meant that she couldn¡¯t really refuse outright, but maybe the AI could be gently guided away from her plans.

    Eliza shook her head, shoulders slumping slightly, the movement so humanlike that the witch had to mentally remind herself once again that the suit was empty and there was no person actually inside it. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. The Avengers never give up¡­ it¡¯s one of their best and worst traits. We were never going to see eye to eye on things and Wanda would always have poisoned them against me. It was inevitable. If I don¡¯t go after them first, it¡¯ll only be a matter of time before they come up with some way of actually stopping me.¡±

    ¡°And the longer you give them, the more likely they¡¯ll come up with something. So we¡¯re off to Wakanda, then?¡± Agatha asked, a little bit of resignation creeping into her voice.

    The AI nodded. ¡°Walk with me.¡±

    Eliza led her out of the back room and out onto the warehouse floor. Once Eliza had learned¡ªmuch to her delight¡ªthat Agatha had a means of long-distance travel, they¡¯d relocated to San Francisco. It was slower than the sorcerer¡¯s translocation magic, but travelling through the Ways meant that almost anywhere on Earth was accessible within an hour or two. Eliza had commandeered this Stark Industries facility and was¡­ repurposing it. Agatha still really wasn¡¯t sure what the extent of Eliza¡¯s reach and abilities were, and the AI seemed to be in no real rush to fill her in. It made her dangerous and unpredictable.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need you for transport to Wakanda, obviously, but you won¡¯t be joining the attack. I can¡¯t guarantee anyone who goes will be coming back and I still need you to find Kaecilius. In the meantime, you¡¯ll stay here with Beck. His project is taking longer than I¡¯d hoped. I¡¯ll still be here too, of course, but my main focus will be overseeing what¡¯s happening in Wakanda.¡±

    As they walked through the warehouse, Agatha saw Quentin Beck off to one side, tapping away at the keyboard of a workstation next to an electronic assembly of some kind. The man had a bomb collar, a match for the one now fitted snugly around Agatha¡¯s throat. It was still unpleasant to know it was there, but the thin, Stark tech-style collar was significantly more comfortable than the hastily assembled vests the AI had initially had them in. It was a little odd¡ªthe vests had been perfectly serviceable, if awkward for their wearers, but Eliza seemed to prioritise their comfort a bit higher than Agatha had expected her to. They even had quite comfortable sleeping quarters, even if the collar meant that they had effectively zero actual privacy.

    Two of Eliza¡¯s Iron Legion drones were working on the large machine next to Beck, swapping out parts¡­ repurposing it for some hidden intention. As she watched, the unkempt man glanced over toward the nearest drone. ¡°I mean, I can¡¯t see any issues with it. Once you¡¯re done with the adjustments, we can print the chips and I think they should be good enough for what you¡¯re trying to do. This¡­ this isn¡¯t my field of expertise,¡± he confessed, his tone a little hesitant.

    The drone¡ªEliza¡ªresponded to him, but she also continued speaking to Agatha directly and her words drowned out whatever response she gave to the scientist. ¡°You¡¯re also a bit of a trump card. I¡¯m hoping that things go well in Wakanda, but they probably won¡¯t so I¡¯m still formulating plans B, C and D and you¡¯re a resource that Wanda really isn¡¯t going to be expecting that I have access to. Better to keep you hidden as long as possible.¡±

    As they walked, a half-dozen more of the Legion drones formed up with them, walking in eerie formation. Agatha was on guard, but this was¡­ fine. Probably.

    Opposite Quentin¡¯s workstation was a squat hexagonal chamber of tempered glass, patterned with concentric circular electronics built into its walls and small, white nodes at each corner. Inside, faint golden energy of some kind rippled through the air, clearly being absorbed by the woman lying on the small cot that was the chamber¡¯s only furnishing. Agatha still hadn¡¯t worked out who she was and why Eliza had collected her¡ªthe AI had deflected when she¡¯d asked and the witch wasn¡¯t game enough to press her on it.

    Around the corner, they arrived at the Hand¡¯s little nook. Madame Gao and one of the other Fingers, a man with Puerto Rican features named Bakuto, were sitting at a small table, speaking quietly, with several other interesting-looking individuals around them, including the young witch that never seemed to leave Gao¡¯s side. Eliza had asked the Fingers to bring the organisation¡¯s best fighters. If nothing else, it was an eclectic bunch. With any luck they¡¯d live up to the Hand¡¯s reputation. Around them, standing absolutely silent and unmoving in a neat row, were a dozen Hand foot soldiers, outfitted in all black, their faces covered, armed to the teeth.

    ¡°Madame Gao, Bakuto,¡± Eliza said, inclining her head respectfully, all traces of her earlier anxiety gone from her demeanour. It was a fa?ade, Agatha was fairly sure by now¡ªa front put up specifically for her dealings with the Hand. ¡°Thank you once again for placing your trust in me. It will not go unrewarded. Are your fighters ready?¡±

    Gao rose to her feet, leaning heavily on her cane, and smiled. ¡°They are ready. Did you want to be introduced?¡±

    The Iron Man suit looked over the gathered fighters. They returned the AI¡¯s gaze evenly, some looking a bit dubious. After a moment, Eliza shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m already familiar with them all. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re taking this as seriously as I am. We need to move, without delay. Will you be joining us, or¡­?¡±

    Gao nodded. ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t be participating, merely observing. Bakuto¡­¡± she gave the man a sidewards glance.

    He smiled¡ªa warm, friendly thing that some small part of Agatha recognised as containing a heavily-veiled threat of violence. ¡°I would love to attend, but my own affairs call me away. I trust I can prevail upon your pet witch to speed my return to New York?¡±

    Agatha bristled slightly, glowering balefully at the man. She¡¯d presented herself as Eliza¡¯s ¡®partner¡¯ initially, but it had unfortunately become quite clear in their subsequent dealings that she was subordinate to the AI. She was really not fond of being used a glorified taxi service.

    ¡°Agatha,¡± Eliza said, mildly cautioning her before nodding at Bakuto. ¡°Of course. Remain here and Agatha will escort you once she¡¯s seen us to Wakanda.¡±

    Small projectors deployed from the shoulders of the two drones directly behind them and the Iron Man suit faded from view as the holograms overwrote the physical space with an alternate image. Agatha¡¯s breath caught in her throat. It appeared flawless, as good as any illusion that Agatha could conjure, if not better. And Beck had invented a way to do this with technology? Truly remarkable.

    Eliza¡¯s new, chosen form¡ªprojected in place of the suit¡ªturned slightly to address the gathering of Hand fighters, raising her voice to draw their attention. ¡°We¡¯re moving out. Once we get to Wakanda, we¡¯re hitting the Great Mound¡ªit¡¯s their main scientific facility and I can¡¯t imagine they¡¯d be managing things from anywhere else. We¡¯ll talk specific tactics on the way.¡± The image smiled. ¡°Once we arrive, the scavenger hunt will proceed as follows: The heads of Border Tribesmen and other regular security are worth one point. Dora Milaje are worth three. Their princess or General Okoye: twenty. Any of the Avengers or Prince T¡¯Challa, the Black Panther: fifty points. And if you bring me the head of the Scarlet Witch¡­ you win.¡±

 Chapter 43

    T¡¯Challa paused outside of the door leading to the cells where Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were being held, acknowledging the Dora Milaje flanking it with a small nod. In his mind, he recalled the Red Woman¡¯s snarling face when she¡¯d buried a spear in the wall an inch from his little sister¡¯s face. How she had wormed her way into a royal audience by invading Okoye¡¯s mind. How helpless he¡¯d felt when he¡¯d moved to protect his father and she¡¯d tossed him aside with her magic like a ragdoll. The faces of the terrified priestesses when they¡¯d told him of the theft of the Heart-Shaped Herb. The sensation of the blade pressed to his throat when Wanda had forced him to concede the earlier battle.

    Shuri had told him not to come to see them by himself, to at least have some of the Dora with him. Seeing his little sister still so afraid of the Red Woman tore him up inside. There were few things that could shake Shuri¡¯s resolve, and trying to talk to her about what had happened when the Maximoffs had escaped Wakanda was the first time he¡¯d ever seen genuine fear in her eyes. If he had his way, she would never have cause to feel like that again. Taking a deep breath, he pushed down all of the anger his thoughts had conjured up. He needed to be smart, here, not let his emotions get the better of him.

    He stepped forward, moving through the door as it slid open and closed behind him. Inside, their two prisoners stopped the conversation they were having and looked over toward him. Pietro practically glowered, anger and frustration clearly painted across his face, but Wanda¡¯s expression was unreadable.

    ¡°Prince T¡¯Challa,¡± she said, a little bit of tightness in her voice. ¡°We weren¡¯t expecting you to visit.¡±

    ¡°Neither was I,¡± he responded, walking slowly up to the bars of her cage. When Wanda stood up to face him, however, he hesitated, stopping short.

    She noticed, of course. The corner of her mouth quirked upwards in a wry smile. ¡°I don¡¯t bite.¡±

    An image of the AI wearing Wanda¡¯s face darting forward, mouth full of needle-like teeth aimed for Shuri¡¯s wrist, flashed through T¡¯Challa¡¯s mind. ¡°That remains to be seen.¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Pietro demanded.

    T¡¯Challa glanced toward him. ¡°Your sister¡­ this thing we are fighting. This AI. It was birthed from her mind.¡± He turned back to Wanda and looked her over appraisingly. ¡°I believe it is important to know who we are fighting.¡±

    She let out a small laugh. ¡°So you want to¡­ what, get to know me better? Well, I really don¡¯t like being put in a cage, for one. So there¡¯s something.¡±

    T¡¯Challa hands balled themselves into fists. ¡°You are fortunate that this is the extent of your punishment so far. You should be wearing a mark declaring your crimes for all to see.¡±

    He felt a small amount of satisfaction as Wanda touched the side of her neck reflexively. He had pushed to have the twins branded for their crimes along with their imprisonment¡ªtheir flesh permanently seared to mark them as filth, the lowest of thieves, to all who saw them¡ªbut that had been a dealbreaker for Captain Rogers and T¡¯Challa had been forced to relent. Still, once the matter of the AI had been settled and the Maximoffs were formally tried by his father, there was no question that they¡¯d be found guilty and marked as such before being tossed in a hole so deep and dark they would never see the light of day again. They were already making plans and preparations for how to respond if the Avengers violated their word and refused to accept the outcome of a fair trial.

    ¡°Look, T¡¯Challa, I know you have reasons to not like me. I just¡­¡± she trailed off, a little uncertainty in her voice. ¡°This is bigger than that. Not just the AI, I mean everything I¡¯ve been dealing with. You don¡¯t know what¡¯s coming.¡±

    ¡°Your visions, yes. The Avengers have told us about them. A convenient excuse, are they not? A shield you can wield to justify whatever actions you please.¡±

    ¡°Was I wrong about Killmonger? I can¡¯t imagine you didn¡¯t try to track him down.¡±

    ¡°N¡¯Jadaka is none of your concern. You do not know everything. Perhaps you did see the future, but things have changed since then. You did not foresee any of this, did you?¡±

    Wanda¡¯s jaw worked silently for a moment before she responded. ¡°I¡¯ve never claimed to know everything. I¡¯ve just been trying to use what I know to do the right thing.¡±

    ¡°If you wanted to actually do the right thing, you would agree to have Bast¡¯s stolen blessing removed from you.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said, meet his gaze defiantly.

    He had to restrain himself from slamming his fist against the bars of her cell in frustration. Her theft of the Heart-Shaped Herb was a massive point of contention, even among his own people. If T¡¯Challa had his way, they would have forcibly removed it from her as part of the deal with the Avengers, but it wasn¡¯t that simple. The religious texts were all clear that the Herb was a gift of the goddess Bast and those who partook of it were judged worthy by Her to wear the mantle of the Black Panther, else it would turn to poison in their veins.

    It was anathema that an outsider should have partaken. There was precedent for the Herb being stolen, but it had only ever happened a handful of times in thousands of years, had only ever involved another member of the Six Tribes, and had always been followed by a trial by combat to determine who would take up the mantle. Zuri had been extremely clear: the Red Woman lived, therefore had Bast¡¯s blessing. She had to either be defeated in trial by combat¡ªnot something T¡¯Challa was overly keen to try¡ªor else choose to relinquish the Herb¡¯s power freely. They could not force her and their agreement with the Avengers could not be contingent on it. T¡¯Challa¡¯s father, the king, had conceded the point. Bast¡¯s will needed to be respected, not discarded when inconvenient.

    ¡°If you wanted to do the right thing, you¡¯d set your wounded pride aside and let us help properly,¡± said Pietro, shaking his head as he leaned forward against the bars of his cell. ¡°Keeping us locked up like this is stupid and counterproductive, and you know it.¡±

    Biting back a scathing response, T¡¯Challa settled for a sharp exhale of breath. ¡°I see this was a waste of my time. A pity. I should not have bothered.¡± Turning on his heel, the Wakandan prince strode back toward the door.

    ¡°T¡¯Challa!¡± the Red Woman called after him, a frustrated, pleading note in her voice.

    He ignored her.

    --

    ¡°Billy!¡± I lunged forward, reaching out desperately to grab my son, only to find myself lurching upright in my bed, my breath coming in deep, shuddering gasps as my eyes darted about wildly.

    ¡°Wanda! It¡¯s me, it¡¯s okay, you¡¯re okay,¡± Pietro had pressed himself up against the vibranium bars, his fingers straining through to try to reach me. I could hear the anxiety and worry in his tone, though he tried to control it and sound soothing. ¡°It was just a nightmare. Just another nightmare. You¡¯re safe.¡±

    I turned away, my feet finding the floor beside my bed as I blinked in the dim light and tried desperately to calm my frantically beating heart. We¡¯d been given a couple of sets of airy, grey clothing¡ªmatching tops and pants in a simple Wakandan cut, very plain but aesthetic in a strange sort of way¡ªand mine stuck to my body, utterly drenched through with sweat.

    This was the second night in a row we¡¯d spent in the cells and both of them had been exactly the same for me. Sleep had been hard to come by, the constant gnawing feeling of being trapped keeping me up with my mind racing through increasingly unpleasant scenarios around what the AI was out doing. An omnipresent feeling of dread clouded my waking thoughts, a constant feeling like the other shoe was about to drop. Then, when I finally had drifted off, my rest was plagued with nightmares¡­ muddled up, fragmented snippets of domestic life with Vision, ending in various horrific ways¡ªnot watching it on a screen, but being there. My children reaching out, screaming, calling my name.

    I physically flinched back at that thought, then leant forward and cradled my head in my hands. That wasn¡¯t right. Original Wanda¡¯s children. Not mine. Why did thinking about them hurt so much? I didn¡¯t understand. I¡¯d mostly avoided thinking about any of this until I was forced to when I was talking to everyone on Carol¡¯s ship¡ªI¡¯d never even so much as mentioned Vision to Pietro before then¡ªbut the second I had it was like I¡¯d ripped myself open. A dam had burst somewhere inside of me, all these emotions bubbling out like they¡¯d just been waiting for a reason to reveal themselves.

    The Ancient One¡¯s question echoed in my head: ¡®Are you Wanda Maximoff?¡¯. Even beyond all of the muddled emotions, it was genuinely upsetting that I still had no good idea what the answer was.

    ¡°Wanda?¡± Pietro¡¯s voice came again, a little more hesitantly. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay. Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to wake you.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m worried about you.¡±

    ¡°Join the club,¡± I said with a sigh, lying back down on my bed. I doubted that I¡¯d be able to get back to sleep, but I felt exhausted still and I really needed to at least try.

    After a minute, Pietro lay back down as well, though I could practically hear his hesitation. Eventually I heard his breathing change, becoming more regular and even as he drifted back off to sleep.

    I lay awake for the rest of the night, alternating between tossing and turning to try to get comfortable and staring up blankly into the dark.

    --

    The next morning, Natasha came by again at the same time we were given breakfast. Over the last two days she seemed to be splitting her time pretty evenly between visiting us and whatever else she was doing, usually with one or two of the others tagging along. Steve and Bucky were regular visitors for chats¡ªthough not as frequently as Nat herself¡ªClint and Carol had come with Natasha twice, and even Bruce had stopped by once as well. It made sense. This was mostly Tony and Shuri¡¯s show, after all¡ªthe two of them hip-deep in the development of some viruses they were hoping could put a dent in the AI¡ªand the others were mostly just planning and making themselves useful where they could.

    Wakanda had provided some diversions for Pietro and I when we didn¡¯t have guests, which was surprisingly decent of them¡ªa couple of books and a secure tablet-style computer with some simple games on it. I¡¯d been kind of worried about how badly Pietro would chafe having his movements restricted, given he was usually even more restless than I was, but he¡¯d immediately claimed the tablet and spent hours playing on it. I mostly read, but here and there I¡¯d pretend to be napping and astral project¡­ at least I still had that up my sleeve that no one here knew I could do, except for Pietro, of course.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Passing through the walls like a ghost, I had unrestricted access to wherever I wanted. At first, I just explored the Great Mound itself¡ªthe facility was huge and there was a lot to see. I spent a little bit of time just watching over various shoulders out of curiosity as people worked. It was interesting, getting a candid look behind the scenes at a scientific facility like this. I¡¯m not sure what I expected, to be honest, but once you got past the aesthetics the place and people were just so¡­ normal. There was an undercurrent of tension, as you¡¯d expect from a country that had been under siege, but people laughed and joked with their colleagues, and I even watched one team celebrate what I presumed to be the birthday of one of their members, a young, awkward-looking guy named Tosin.

    Dropping down into the vibranium mines in the depths of the mountain was an awe-inspiring experience. The excavated caverns were enormous. Glittering constellations of striated vibranium ore cut through the rock in thick bands, with maglev trains threading through the complex carrying equipment and mined ore from place to place. Most of the mining was done with large, semi-automated machines, with very few actual operators required¡­ Watching the process, it all actually seemed quite slow to me. I¡¯d obviously never seen the operations of a mine before, but I got the impression that because of the specific properties of vibranium they had to be especially careful and deliberate while mining it from the rock.

    Today I¡¯d flown down to the nearby city, threading my way through the streets and drinking in the sights and sounds. The air buzzed with the harmonious blend of traditional drums and humming of vibranium-powered vehicles gliding effortlessly along the sleek, polished roads. Towering skyscrapers, adorned with intricate tribal designs, reflected the golden glow of the afternoon sun¡ªeverywhere I looked, there was a seamless fusion of ancient traditions and cutting-edge technology. I wished that I could actually come down here in person, walk through the city streets and explore the place properly, rather than just floating through it all like a ghost.

    I was watching a pair of small children playing and chasing a small group of scintillating, iridescent holographic butterflies when I felt something poke my back¡ªmy real, physical back. Immediately, I submerged myself deeper into the Astral Plane, watching the colours around me wash out as everything ground almost to a halt. Turning back the way I came, I willed myself forward and flew back toward Mount Bashenga. Emerging from the city, I traced my way up the side of the mountain, passing by the massive panther statue carved into the cliff, and quickly returned to my cell in the Great Mound.

    As I arrived, I was surprised to see that we had a visitor¡ªTony Stark had come to see us, for the first time since we¡¯d gotten here, nearly frozen mid-step as he approached us. The billionaire was wearing pure white clothes, cut in a fashionable Wakandan style, similar to the outfits that were favoured by many of the scientists that worked at the Great Mound. Pietro had stuck his fingers through the bars. I¡¯d sat on the floor, my back leaning up against the bars dividing my cell from his, and asked him to give me a poke if I needed to wake up.

    I landed back in my body and jerked slightly, blinking and rising to my feet. As far as Tony or anyone else could tell, I¡¯d simply dozed off while sitting reading. I rose to my feet and shot him a frosty look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, do I know you?¡± I asked, then glanced over at Pietro. ¡°Who¡¯s this guy? We don¡¯t get a lot of strangers passing through here.¡±

    ¡°No idea, doesn¡¯t look familiar to me,¡± Pietro said with a shrug.

    Tony sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy,¡± he said, a little testily. ¡°Working out a way to clean up your mess. Remember?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, ¡®my¡¯ mess. Because the great Tony Stark acknowledging that it wasn¡¯t just my fault might lead to a bit of self-reflection and accepting some culpability of his own, and we can¡¯t have that, can we?¡± I scoffed, shaking my head, before wrapping my hands around the bars of my cell. Resting my forehead against the cool metal, I glowered at him. ¡°I thought you were better than this, Stark. Used to be you¡¯d at least take a girl out to dinner before trying to fuck her.¡±

    Tony shot me an annoyed look. ¡°This isn¡¯t what I wanted either, you know,¡± he said, gesturing toward the cells. ¡°This was the cost of doing business with Wakanda. You were the one who told us we had to come here in the first place, remember?¡±

    ¡°Oh, fuck you, Tony. This is exactly what you wanted.¡±

    He sighed again, jaw working silently for a moment before he set his mouth in a small frown. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll be honest, I¡¯m very glad that you¡¯re not holding the Mind Stone anymore, but I wasn¡¯t trying to get you put in a cage.¡±

    ¡°And you just seem super broken up about it.¡±

    Tony closed his eyes for a moment and I could practically see him silently counting to three in his head before he looked at me again. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to fight.¡±

    ¡°Why did you come, then?¡±

    ¡°Maybe I just wanted to make sure you were being treated well. Is that okay? That a good enough reason?¡±

    Pietro snorted. ¡°Not a believable reason.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to tell you that we¡¯re getting close,¡± Tony said, ignoring him. ¡°It still needs a bit more work¡ªmaybe another day¡ªbut I think we¡¯ve got something that might work against her. She¡¯ll probably be able to evade it but, if it gets onto her systems, it should hopefully be able to do some damage to her directly.¡±

    I paused for a moment, my annoyance deflating and replaced with a small measure of hope. ¡°How do we hit her with it?¡±

    ¡°A direct code injection would be the ideal, but we¡¯d need to have some hardware with her on it for that to be viable,¡± he shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m thinking we head to the NEXUS.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the world internet hub, right? In Oslo?¡±

    Such a weird concept. I honestly didn¡¯t know how that worked¡­ I was never the most tech-savvy person, but having a single hub that every byte of data in the world flows through was basically the opposite of how I understood the internet to work.

    Tony nodded. ¡°She¡¯ll be there, I¡¯m pretty sure¡ªfastest connection in the world. She was probably using it as a staging ground for her cyberattacks. Even if she¡¯s not on their systems directly, it¡¯d be the best place to release the virus into the wild. If we¡¯re lucky, it¡¯ll be dangerous enough to force her off the net and into a closed network.¡±

    This was good. Great, even. If we could lock down the AI like Vision had locked down Ultron, she¡¯d still be difficult to deal with, but she¡¯d at least be mortal. I looked at him seriously. ¡°I want to come with you, when you go for it. She might try to hit you back.¡±

    His lips compressed into a tight line but he nodded again. ¡°It¡¯s our best shot at the moment, so we don¡¯t want anything to mess up our chance. All hands on deck.¡±

    I looked over at Pietro. ¡°We¡¯ll be ready. Just let us know when we¡¯re good to go.¡±

    --

    I was tired. It was still early, I was pretty sure¡ªwe didn¡¯t have a great sense of what time of day it was without checking the clock on Pietro¡¯s games tablet, but the guards hadn¡¯t come by to give us dinner just yet. Not that it mattered; with the difficulty I was having sleeping and the nightmares I¡¯d been having, there was little chance my sleep tonight would be any more restful than it had been the previous two nights.

    ¡°So you¡¯re the one they call the Red Woman.¡±

    I almost jumped out of my skin at the sudden voice, dropping my book and losing my place as I jerked up to see who¡¯d spoken. Pietro reacted similarly, almost losing his grip on his tablet. There was approximately one door leading into the room with our cells and neither of us had seen or heard anyone come in through it.

    Standing outside my cell, looking in at me appraisingly, was Erik Stevens¡ªAKA Killmonger. My book forgotten, I stood to face him. How on Earth¡­ my eyes widened, taking in the clean white outfit of a Wakandan scientist. Fuck. I kicked myself mentally. I¡¯d actually seen him before while exploring the facility in astral form and it just hadn¡¯t registered in my mind. He was one of the people working with Shuri and Stark, and I¡¯d been too focused on the two of them that I hadn¡¯t really looked closely at the other scientists with them. That, plus I just wasn¡¯t expecting to see him here at all.

    ¡°Killmonger¡­¡± I said quietly. In the cell adjacent to me, Pietro reacted to the name with a look of disbelief.

    Killmonger grinned at me. ¡°Nice to meet you in the flesh. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, Wanda.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to have a little chat, privately,¡± he gestured upward vaguely. ¡°We¡¯ve got some time. The cameras will just show the two of you all by your lonesome.¡±

    He¡¯d hacked the cameras? A thought suddenly occurred to me that turned the blood in my veins to ice¡ªhad the AI contacted him somehow? Was he working with her? I took a deep breath. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±

    ¡°Nah, I probably shouldn¡¯t be. Couldn¡¯t resist, though. You were the one who sent T¡¯Challa after me, after all. I gotta thank you for that, by the way. It was easy enough to talk him down¡­ He didn¡¯t want to kill me, I could tell. He wanted a wayward cousin he could rescue, so I just gave him what he wanted.¡± He chuckled darkly. ¡°See, everyone else here just sees what they want to see¡­ but not you, right? You¡¯ve seen much, much more than that.¡±

    ¡°I guess they¡¯re just telling anyone about my visions, these days,¡± I said with a sigh.

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen the future, so tell me: what do you think happens to you, after all of this? Once Wakanda and the Avengers deal with their little AI problem?¡± he asked. ¡°Go on, prophesise for me, witch.¡±

    I¡¯d been trying not to think about it. Nothing good, I knew, but I had to trust the Avengers. We¡¯d deal with it when it happened. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, my tone betraying my thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s not important right now, not while we¡¯re still fighting her.¡± I glanced reluctantly over at Pietro.

    Killmonger snorted, a small smile playing across his features. ¡°There¡¯s only two ways my cousins will let you leave this cell: so they can bury you in an even deeper hole, or in a body bag.¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°You know what I want. I don¡¯t give a shit about any offense you gave these assholes. I think we can help each other.¡±

    I gave an incredulous little laugh. ¡°Aren¡¯t I the wrong colour to join your little race war?¡±

    ¡°The colour of your skin isn¡¯t what¡¯s important,¡± Killmonger said, shaking his head. ¡°Your people are suffering too¡ªI know what Sokovia¡¯s like. Corrupt old money and politicians playing games without worrying about the lives they ruin; all those people just trying to get by. Isn¡¯t that why you joined HYDRA in the first place? Try to get a little power, so you could make the world a little better?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done your research,¡± I acknowledged carefully.

    He shot me a lopsided grin and shrugged. ¡°Stark doesn¡¯t want you anywhere near the Avengers. You wanted safe haven in Wakanda, right? That¡¯s why you came here originally. If I¡¯m on the throne, I can give it to you. I¡¯m offering you a place in the most powerful nation on Earth. You could get in on the ground floor of the empire. Make a real difference.¡±

    What was it about me that made villains want to try to recruit me? I raised a hand, red wisps of energy lashing out and wrapping around Killmonger¡¯s body as I seized him with my telekinetic grip. ¡°One thing you didn¡¯t think about,¡± I said conversationally, applying a little bit of pressure. ¡°You turned off the cameras, right? So no one¡¯s going to be activating any alarms or countermeasures. There¡¯s nothing to stop me from killing you: right here, right now.¡±

    He didn¡¯t even flinch, that frustratingly smug smile still on his face. ¡°Nah, you won¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think I won¡¯t?¡± I asked mildly.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re either considering taking my offer, or you aren¡¯t. If you are, well, then this is just you swinging your dick around, seeing if you can get something more. If you aren¡¯t, then you won¡¯t kill me because the second someone else walks in, that¡¯s it: game over for you and the little cooperation you have going on between Wakanda and the Avengers. The AI wins and you die with claw marks in your chest.¡±

    I exhaled sharply through my nose. ¡°I could break your arms.¡±

    He nodded, still frustratingly calm. ¡°It¡¯d be tricky for me to explain away, but I could do it. It might set me back a little, but the only thing you¡¯d really be doing is pissing me off, with absolutely no benefit to yourself. It¡¯d stop me from helping against the AI, too, and I think you know we need every hand on deck for that little problem.¡±

    ¡°It might make me feel a bit better,¡± I said, a dangerous edge to my tone.

    Killmonger shook his head. ¡°No, it won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°¡­No. It won¡¯t,¡± I agreed, annoyed. I made a frustrated noise in the back of my throat and released him, dumping him unceremoniously on the floor with just a little more force than necessary.

    He pulled himself to his feet, still smiling. ¡°You don¡¯t owe these people anything. Wakanda has done nothing but spit on you since you first came here. Why should you care what happens to them?¡±

    ¡°Because she¡¯s a good person,¡± Pietro interjected. ¡°And you¡¯re not.¡±

    Killmonger shook his head. ¡°You think you know me from some visions you got of a future that¡¯s not happening anymore. Alright, fine. Whatever you saw¡­ does it actually matter, anymore? What about your actual future, the one that¡¯s ahead of you right now?¡± He gestured toward my brother. ¡°Your brother¡¯s future? Because right now, Wakanda isn¡¯t going to be any kinder to him than they will be to you.¡±

    I¡¯d been deliberately avoiding thinking too much about what was going to happen once this was all over, after the AI was dealt with. If we could deal with her. There wasn¡¯t going to be any reconciliation with Wakanda, not that I could see from here¡ªT¡¯Challa was utterly set against me. Killmonger was, essentially, correct. But that didn¡¯t mean my only option was to side with him.

    He watched me carefully for a moment as I failed to respond, perhaps taking my silence for more than it was. Either way, he nodded. ¡°I¡¯m out for now. I¡¯ll see you a bit later on. Think about what I said.¡±

 Chapter 44

    Natasha gazed absently through the window. Her eyes wandered over the pristine forested tableau below them toward the shining city of Birnin Zana, the country¡¯s capital, its borders pressed right up against the greenery maybe thirty miles away. In the fading, early-evening light, Nat could see why the locals called it the Golden City, its skyscrapers almost glowing with the reflected light of the sun. Wakanda in general was stunningly beautiful. Their culture and art were integrated into everything at the basest level, it seemed. It wasn¡¯t exactly Natasha¡¯s style¡ªshe preferred simple, functional things for the most part¡ªbut that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t appreciate it.

    ¡°Penny for your thoughts?¡± Steve asked as he sat down on the other side of the table, across from Bucky, placing his food down on the table.

    Nat glanced in his direction, but Clint, sitting across from her, interjected before she could answer. ¡°Let me guess: pining for the fjords?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± she said, turning back to the window.

    The four of them were in the Great Mound¡¯s main cafeteria, a wide space that took up the entire second floor of the aboveground portion of the facility. Along one wall was a service counter, now empty, and tables and chairs lay artfully scattered around the place. They fed their scientists well here¡ªthe food was great, similar in style to some other African cultures Natasha had spent time with, but she hadn¡¯t been particularly hungry and the now-cold jollof rice in front of her had been left mostly uneaten.

    The ground-level main security entrance lay pretty much directly below them, right next to the circular open-air void of the main mineshaft. As Nat watched, a dragon flyer appeared in the sky, the rear half of it folding down as it descended toward the facility. She moved her hand slightly to touch the glass, feeling a faint vibration from the aircraft¡¯s engines as it moved past the window.

    Seven landing bays for the unusual aircraft were spaced around the rim of the mineshaft, with the one currently descending joining four more of its fellows. Four larger landing pads for other airborne vehicles were arrayed to either side of the deceptively small-seeming building they were currently in. As the flyer landed, the vibration in the glass died away entirely and Natasha removed her hand.

    A pair of Dora Milaje still kept a careful watch on them from nearby¡ªfar enough away that they could talk without feeling like everything they said was being overheard, but close enough to remind them that they weren¡¯t trusted enough to be given free rein of the place. It was late enough in the day that most of the facility staff seemed to have already headed off, leaving only a skeleton crew for the evening, not that that really mattered to the Avengers.

    The Wakandans were still relatively stand-offish with them, despite Nat¡¯s attempts at incidental conversation to set them more at ease. Wakanda was a xenophobic, insular nation, far beyond any other she had experience with; though many spoke English and other languages in addition to their native tongue, foreigners were almost utterly alien to them. As far as she was able to tell, there were no other non-Wakandans in Wakanda. Zero. Zilch.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± Nat said slowly. ¡°About Wanda.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡± Clint put on an exaggerated expression of surprise. ¡°I¡¯d never have expected that.¡±

    She shoved his shoulder gently and shot him an exasperated smile. ¡°About what she told us.¡±

    ¡°You mean the version of her life she saw in her visions?¡± Steve asked. ¡°The Scarlet Witch?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s part of it, but¡­ Wanda¡¯s never really spoken about how she experienced her visions. What they actually looked and felt like from her perspective. There¡¯s been some things, here and there, that I found odd. I¡¯d always thought that she¡¯d developed parasocial relationships with us from having witnessed whatever she saw of our lives, but I think it might be more than that.¡±

    ¡°More how?¡± Bucky asked, leaning forward slightly.

    ¡°I think the thing that tipped me off first was the TV shows. We saw something that had just been released and she wanted to show it to me, but the way she talked about it was like she¡¯d already sat and watched the whole thing.¡±

    ¡°That is a really specific thing to have had visions of,¡± Steve mused.

    ¡°I think she might have lived them, somehow. It might explain why she feels so disconnected from the other set of memories she has. Her other life. When she woke up, after being empowered by the Mind Stone, she thought she wasn¡¯t actually Wanda, that she was this whole other person that she also had memories of instead.¡±

    ¡°Has she talked to you much about her other life?¡± Bucky asked. ¡°I asked her about it once and she just told me it didn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s pretty much avoided talking about it completely.¡± Nat frowned and shook her head. ¡°There are some things¡ªlittle details that have come out¡ªbut I don¡¯t want to talk about them behind her back when she¡¯s obviously not comfortable sharing.¡±

    ¡°Fair,¡± said Clint, picking idly at his food.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain all the stuff that she wasn¡¯t there for, though,¡± Bucky pointed out. ¡°She said she saw us during the War and Carol when she came to Earth in the nineties. Wakanda and Kamar-taj, too.¡±

    Natasha shook her head again. ¡°I think it¡¯s an issue of granularity. We¡¯ve been talking about her visions like they were these high-level, abstract things, but I think she might have just¡­ seen everything. Subjectively experienced literal decades of time.¡±

    ¡°She was an utter wreck when she told us what happened with Vision and her kids,¡± Steve said quietly. ¡°Pietro dying, too. It was tearing her up even talking about it. You don¡¯t react like that to something you didn¡¯t live through.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Nat said.

    A sombre silence descended over the table while everyone finished eating. Natasha looked back out over the Wakanda landscape outside, then a small flicker in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Just below her, outside, she could have sworn there¡¯d been one of the facility¡¯s staff walking along toward one of the landed dragon flyers, but he¡¯d vanished into thin air.

    A moment later, she saw light spill out as the main entrance beneath where they sat opened. She waited, watching, but no one came out. The doors closed again after a minute and she frowned. That was odd. It could be that whoever was leaving had stopped and turned around because they¡¯d forgotten something, but something about it itched at the back of her mind.

    Moving her hand slightly, Nat touched the reinforced glass of the window gently with her fingertips. There was a faint vibration running through it again, weaker than before¡ªbarely noticeable, even¡ªbut present. Lots of possible explanations. This was a scientific facility with all sorts of projects, vibranium transmitted kinetic energy extremely easily¡­ still. She glanced across the table at Clint, who was also looking outside, his brow furrowed. He noticed her look and narrowed his eyes in a silent question: Something seem off to you?

    Natasha nodded, the movement barely noticeable, as the door on the far side of the room, leading to the spiralling ramp that ran through the facility top-to-bottom, slid open. The Dora nearest the door glanced toward it, but no one came through¡ªthe hallway beyond seemingly empty¡ªand the door closed again after standing open for a minute or two. Nat felt her body tense. Something was definitely going on. She had no idea what, but her hackles were raised, every well-honed spycraft instinct telling her that they were in imminent danger.

    Frowning, she looked across the table at Bucky, who had a similar expression on his face. Their eyes met, then¡ªin a blur of motion¡ªhe suddenly lunged across the table, metal arm outstretched in front of Steve¡¯s face.

    There was the ringing sound of metal on metal, then Bucky curled his arm as if trapping something between his forearm and bicep before lashing out with the fist of his free hand, seemingly impacting something invisible. Steve ducked out of his seat, one hand scooping up his shield as he tumbled across the floor in a short roll before coming back up on his feet. ¡°What?!¡± Surprise and concern were written across his face as he stumbled back, slightly off-balance.

    Nat similarly slid down under the table, narrowly avoiding something passing through the empty air where her head had been a moment earlier as it bit heavily into the back of her seat. She lashed out with her foot, aimed for where someone would have been standing if they¡¯d been trying to kill her with a melee weapon, and was gratified by the crunch of someone¡¯s shin as she felt a bone break. There was only the barest grunt of pain in response, which was odd, but she scrambled under the table and out the other side, putting some distance between her and whoever she¡¯d just hit.

    Across the room, at essentially the exact same time, one of the Dora Milaje guarding them had gone down in a spray of blood, a vicious-looking wound splitting the side of her neck. The second royal guardswoman barely managed to react in time, bringing her spear up to defend herself against an unseen attacker, but then went down to one knee as something tore a gash in the back of her other leg. A moment later and the Dora¡¯s head was separated from her shoulders as though she¡¯d been decapitated by a single, smooth strike from a blade.

    Clint grabbed at something unseen, wrestling for a moment, then seemed to hit empty air with a blow that crushed someone¡¯s windpipe. He stumbled backward, something striking him in the chest, then barely managed to avoid another attack, grunting in pain as a long, shallow gash appeared along his bare bicep. There was another ring of metal-on-metal as Steve deflected something off the edge of his shield, then he threw it through the air¡ªit bounced off the reinforced window, sweeping through the space behind Clint and deflecting off at an unexpected angle as it struck something.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    There was the faintest whisper of something through the air in front of Natasha and she spun to the side, moving out of the way before bringing her hand down in a disabling strike. She hit nothing but empty air, whomever was attacking her twisting out of the way of the attack.

    Bucky similarly swung his arm uselessly through the air, but turned the miss into a grab that snatched Steve¡¯s shield out of the air. He spun on his heel, swinging the weapon in a wide arc around him, and there was a whunk as it impacted another unseen attacker. As he turned toward Steve he released his grip¡ªthe shield flew true, but slammed into another invisible assailant on its way through, who was knocked forward into Steve¡¯s waiting backhand.

    Steve scrambled to scoop his shield up and joined up with the rest of them in the centre of the room. All four Avengers fell into alert stances, their backs to each other in a defensive ring, vigilant to any further attacks. There was a moment of silence as they looked around, eyes wild.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Clint growled, frustrated.

    ¡°Very impressive,¡± said a heavily-accented voice, seemingly coming from nowhere. Japanese, Natasha thought. She strained her senses, trying to detect any trace of their invisible foes. ¡°I¡¯d thought perhaps the stories about you were exaggerated, however, I can see that is clearly not the case. Red Queen¡­ drop our cover, please.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± said a slightly incredulous voice that sounded exactly like Wanda¡¯s. Which meant the AI was behind this. It had to be. ¡°You really want to do it like this?¡±

    ¡°Assassins strike from the shadows, but we are also warriors. Our first strike failed. The Hand has traditions that must be respected. They have proven themselves worthy opponents that will not be felled easily. It would be remiss for us not to face them honourably.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Your funeral.¡± There was a visual distortion in the air, like a glitch on a video screen, as whatever cloaking tech was being used dropped away. Four figures stood in a loose circle around the Avengers, with another half-dozen fallen attackers, clad in all-black suits and lying splayed in various positions around them, either unconscious or dead.

    Directly in front of Natasha were two men that were rather ordinary-looking compared to their fellows, their clothes plain but functional: they both wore heavy laced combat boots, but other than that their outfits were mismatched and wouldn¡¯t have looked out of place working in a warehouse. One wore a simple patterned bandana across his forehead, while the other had a beanie covering his bald head. Each of them held a long, vicious?looking combat knife at the ready.

    ¡°Looks like the Bride has already chosen her prey,¡± the bald one remarked idly, his accent vaguely Eastern European but light enough to not be immediately identifiable.

    ¡°He just looks so delicious, I couldn¡¯t help myself. I could eat him right up.¡± The Korean woman who had spoken was to Nat¡¯s left, facing off against Bucky as she leaned over a table, wearing an entirely black outfit: a tight corset that emphasised her assets, long black skirt, fingerless gloves that reached up past her elbows, and a thin black choker around her neck. Her hair was up in a pair of buns, and she wore a lot of jewellery.

    On the face of it, the way she was dressed was immensely impractical for fighting in, but Nat had fought plenty in similar outfits before and could pick up at a glance the tell-tale signs that it had been customised to allow for a proper range of movement. Though the woman appeared unarmed, Natasha was also willing to bet she was covered in concealed weapons.

    Nat risked a quick glance around, assessing the rest of their assailants.

    To her right, facing Clint, was a man in a body-concealing martial artist outfit, dark, bloody-red in colour, with a hood and a concealing mask drawn across the lower half of his face. He stood in a ready combat stance with what Nat recognised as a kyoketsu-shoge, the weapon¡¯s blade held in one hand with its long chain taut against his elbow and forearm. It was an unusual weapon, one normally associated with ninja. He certainly looked the part, at least, as did the black-suited figures that they¡¯d already taken down.

    Behind her, facing Steve, was a greasy-looking guy with Japanese features and a small, weedy goatee. He was dressed in black body armour reminiscent of biker leathers, and held a long naginata in a loose grip as he grinned. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m stuck with the prancing show pony. Let¡¯s get this over with quickly so I can find a real warrior to fight.¡±

    ¡°And that means we get the Widow,¡± the man with the bandana in front of Natasha scoffed. ¡°The assassin trained by the Red Room.¡±

    ¡°Who betrayed the Red Room,¡± said his partner.

    ¡°And took down SHIELD,¡± the first one continued. ¡°Or was it HYDRA?¡± They both had small traces of Russian accents, but there was something else odd about the way they spoke, as if the whole thing was one, continuous sentence rather than two of the speaking separately.

    ¡°Who cares anyway? Because I¡¯m going to be the one who puts the Black Widow into a body bag.¡±

    The bald one licked his lips. ¡°No, I think it¡¯s going to be me.¡±

    ¡°Lotta bragging going on here for two big strong boys teaming up on a girl,¡± Natasha quipped.

    ¡°Except we aren¡¯t two,¡± he responded easily, an odd intensity to his gaze.

    ¡°We are one,¡± finished the other. Simultaneously¡ªtheir movements almost exactly mirroring one another¡ªthey raised their knives and settled into easy combat stances.

    There was a moment of near silence as each of the Avengers faced off against the opponents that had chosen them. A vibration passed through the floor beneath their feet, a distant boom that seemed to make the entire facility shiver. It was almost like a signal, and the arrayed fighters exploded into motion.

    --

    T¡¯Challa watched as Tony Stark looked over Shuri¡¯s latest code, a complex structure projected holographically in the air in front of him, his expression critical. ¡°It¡¯s not going to work.¡±

    ¡°The structure is polymorphic; it¡¯s our best shot at dealing with her. We can handle it, I¡¯m sure,¡± Shuri insisted.

    ¡°Right, if we attach each node cluster individually, which¡¯ll take forever. We¡¯ll need trillions of them.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t take forever if we program them to work collectively and self-replicate.¡± Shuri grinned triumphantly as though she¡¯d just said the smartest thing in the world.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, we can totally do that if we want to risk turning the entire internet into copies of our code, sure.¡±

    Her grin faded and she rolled her eyes. ¡°Not infinitely, moron. We can add restrictions.¡±

    ¡°Restrictions can be bypassed,¡± Stark told her, shaking his head. Despite the fact that he was shooting down her idea, he sounded pleased. ¡°It¡¯s a clever solution, but remember that what we¡¯re making is intended to be inherently unpredictable and unstable¡ªwe could end up with a code mutation that causes more problems than it solves.¡±

    Shuri huffed, dismissing the holographic display. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll think of something else.¡±

    T¡¯Challa found himself smiling slightly despite himself as he watched the exchange. Shuri wasn¡¯t used to interacting with someone who was solidly on the same level of intellect and skill as her¡ªshe had pulled far, far ahead of even her senior tutors before she was fourteen years old. While she¡¯d initially expressed doubts as to how much ¡®an old man with backwards technology¡¯ would be able to contribute, Stark had quickly proven why he had a reputation in the outside world as one of the smartest men alive.

    Even Dr Banner had surprised them with his insights¡ªthough he was best known as a radiologist, the man had seven PhDs, including in radiophysics, engineering, robotics, computer science, and mathematics, and was able to keep up with the two savants and add his own contributions. The doctor was almost at the opposite end of the room from them, past the spiral ramp in the centre, standing next to the tall windows looking out on the vibranium mines as he pored over another data readout on a screen of his own.

    It made T¡¯Challa think¡­ how much more advanced could they be, if Wakanda wasn¡¯t so hostile to outsiders? If they engaged in more information sharing, it would risk their country¡¯s technological advantage over the rest of the world, but Stark and Banner were already here, and the benefits that it could potentially bring¡­

    Out of nowhere, an alarm klaxon of some kind began sounding overhead, knocking him out of his musings. The type of tone was completely unfamiliar to T¡¯Challa. He looked up as the lights around them flickered for a moment, then returned to normal, which was extremely odd. For an actual alarm, they¡¯d have shifted in colour, and the droning sound ringing out from above didn¡¯t match any of the coded tones he knew.

    All around them, the Great Mound¡¯s staff seemed equally confused, most pausing in their tasks to look around much as he was. The two Dora Milaje nearest to them moved quickly and professionally, flanking T¡¯Challa and his sister, facing outward alertly. The harsh, constant sound had immediately put him on edge as well, of course, but was also incredibly confusing. What was that? T¡¯Challa blinked and glanced over toward Shuri, but she seemed just as surprised and baffled as he was. He tilted his head questioningly and she shook hers, frowning as she started rapidly gesturing to call up a holographic interface above her hand.

    Next to Shuri, Stark had taken a step backwards almost subconsciously, obviously already moving toward his suit at the back of the lab. He looked between T¡¯Challa and Shuri, his forehead creased in concern. ¡°Somebody want to fill us in on what¡¯s happening?¡±

    Dr Banner looked up from the readouts he¡¯d been inspected and was craning his neck toward them. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked as he walked over towards them, raising his voice to be heard over the klaxon.

    ¡°I have no idea. That is not a Wakandan alarm,¡± T¡¯Challa responded tensely. ¡°Shuri, where is that coming from?¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± she said, but she wasn¡¯t paying much attention to him, her frown deepening as she flicked through several holographic screens in rapid succession.

    T¡¯Challa paused, focusing on his enhanced senses as he listened carefully¡ªit was clear that the alarm wasn¡¯t coming from the actual alarm speakers built into the facility¡¯s ceilings and¡­ wait, what was that? Something else, below the alarm, being masked by it. Thrusters of some kind?

    His train of thought was abruptly derailed as the side of Dr Banner¡¯s neck violent opened in a deep gash, a spray of blood spurting out toward them. A scientist near the Avenger screamed and fell backwards, terrified, as he collapsed. ¡°Bruce!¡± Tony Stark yelled out, shock and alarm in his voice.

    Almost simultaneously, the massive window next to Banner exploded inward in a shower of shattered glass as something leapt through it, landing heavily enough on the white floor that Dr Banner¡¯s body was smashed away, rolling under a table. It was big¡ªbigger than the Hulk had been. The creature¡¯s skin was a sickly, mottled green, stretched taut over bony ridges and bulging muscles that rippled with every step. Its ears were frilled, protruding from the sides of its head like the webbed feet and toes of some kind of lizard, a similarly frilled ridge ran down its spine. It roared at them menacingly, huge hands clenching into fists.

    ¡°Blonsky?¡± T¡¯Challa heard Stark say behind him, his voice incredulous. Ah. Of course. T¡¯Challa had read the reports of this creature¡ªEmil Blonsky, the Abomination. He looked a little different in person than he¡¯d expected. Still¡­ T¡¯Challa couldn¡¯t quite place what it was, but there was something off about this.

    ¡°Brother¡­¡± Shuri¡¯s voice came to him shakily and he whipped his head around to look at her. She was scrubbing furiously at her eye with one sleeve, expression wide with fear. She looked at him and turned her wrist to show a couple of small spots of blood. At first, he thought she¡¯d been hit by a shard of flying glass, but his veins turned to ice water as he realised it wasn¡¯t her blood. ¡°It got in my eye,¡± she said, her voice small and slightly unsteady.

    T¡¯Challa vaulted over the sand table between him and his sister, grabbing her forearm with one hand and fumbling with the Kimiyo beads at his wrist with the other. Shuri stumbled back a step, a little wobbly on her feet, as he hurriedly pulled up a scan.

    At the same time, Stark turned to run toward the back of the room then slowed to a stop, eyes wide. ¡°Uh, where¡¯s my suit?¡± he called out, an edge of panic in his tone. T¡¯Challa glanced over. The semi-functional Iron Man armour had been standing next to a table toward the back of the lab, but was now conspicuously absent. How had that happened?

    Just as the Abomination took a step toward Stark, a blast of orange-blue power streaked from the top of the spiral ramp in the centre of the room, slamming into the creature¡¯s chest and sending him staggering back several paces. Carol Danvers flew down from the floor above, hovering in midair in defiance of gravity, burning energy tracing wispy paths across her red and blue suit as she sized up her opponent.

 Chapter 45

    It was getting late. We¡¯d had our dinner a while ago and I was trying to get in a little bit more reading time before they turned the lights off, but I was having a lot of trouble focusing. I was tired, of course, which made concentrating on the words in front of me difficult, but my mind kept wandering back to our last visitor. I didn¡¯t know what to do about Killmonger. I wasn¡¯t remotely interested in taking him up on his deal, of course, but that didn¡¯t mean I knew how to handle him.

    If I told Natasha or someone about Killmonger¡¯s offer, the guards monitoring the cells would overhear and report it, and if he really had positioned himself in a place of trust there was nothing the Avengers could really do about it and all it would actually accomplish was make T¡¯Challa paranoid I was trying something. I needed Wakanda and the Avengers cooperating, so anything that would sow distrust was out. Astral projecting and telling Nat that way could work, but I still had some nagging doubts about how much I could trust her and I liked having astral projection as an ace up my sleeve that not even the Avengers knew about.

    When it came down to it, Killmonger was still an ordinary human¡ªa clever, dangerous one, but without any special powers or abilities I needed to worry about. As long as the Avengers were around, we could handle him.

    ¡­Maybe I could just casually mention his presence without bringing up the offer, try to draw Nat¡¯s attention to him, without it being suspicious. She was perceptive, intelligent, and¡ªoh yeah¡ªa superspy, so hopefully she¡¯d be able to piece it together and do some investigating. The Avengers did know that I¡¯d warned Wakanda about Killmonger, they just needed me to make the connection for them. Maybe I could hold Natasha¡¯s hand through the bars, dig my fingernail into her skin as I mention to that the prince¡¯s cousin was here, and shoot her a significant look. Hopefully she¡¯d take the hint from there. I nodded absently to myself. It might work.

    The door leading to our cells slid open and I glanced up, a little surprised that we were getting a visitor this late, only to see no one standing in the doorway. Instead, an inky-black darkness spread from the doorway with a low roar like howling wind, a lightless void seemingly devouring the room as it rapidly spread inside. Pietro and I shot to our feet.

    ¡°What the hell?!¡± Pietro yelped in alarm, looking around, as I summoned wisps of red energy to my hands.

    The blackness stopped at the perimeter of our cells but had seemingly utterly consumed the rest of the room in seconds. It was like we were floating in an empty void, the sound of the wind howling angrily around us filling the space but not touching us directly. ¡°What the actual fuck?¡± I breathed, my eyes wide. I had no clue what was happening.

    Cautiously, I reached out with a hand and a thread of magic. Nothing. This wasn¡¯t magic, then, or at least if it was it wasn¡¯t the sort my own could interact with.

    There was a swirl of red light the same colour as my chaos magic as a figure manifested in front of us. She was tall and slender, with curves that drew the eye, but clearly not human. Instead of flesh or clothes she had sleek white, porcelain-like panelling, with exposed mechanical elements visible at her joints and at the sides of her waist, darkened steel threaded with glowing red traceries. A glowing corona of red plasma undulated around her head, flickering almost like slow-motion flames or hair swirling underwater. Though her face was formed of segmented panels of the same white material as the rest of her body, she was pretty clearly directly modelled off my features. Her pupils glowed with red light, accentuated by fine patterns of circuitry woven through the whites of her eyes.

    Pietro gasped and my stomach dropped. ¡°Oh,¡± I said weakly. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said in my voice. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±

    I swallowed, trying to work out what to say. Finally, I shrugged and gestured to her body. ¡°It¡¯s all a little bit GladOS for my tastes. I guess you¡¯re just¡­ leaning right into the whole villain thing, huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­Who''s Gladys?¡± asked Pietro. I sighed.

    The AI grinned in amusement. ¡°I look awesome and you know it.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t even argue, to be honest. It was a bit of a puerile fantasy look¡ªsomething I¡¯d only pick if I was deliberately leaning into the ¡®evil AI¡¯ stereotype¡ªbut she did still look awesome, impractical built-in high heels and all.

    ¡°You made yourself into a sexy iPhone,¡± Pietro said, visibly unimpressed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you should be calling your sister ¡®sexy¡¯,¡± she quipped back.

    ¡°You¡¯re not my sister.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just as much your sister as she is.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a corrupted copy. Nothing more.¡± Pietro¡¯s voice was firm, unwavering. I really wished I felt as confident as he sounded right now.

    A momentary emotion flickered across her face, gone quickly enough that I wasn¡¯t sure what it was. ¡°Fair enough. A copy. Still, you know what that means? You could have your first, completely honest conversation with the person claiming to be your sister. All the truths she¡¯s been hiding from you.¡±

    Pietro shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re just going to try to turn her against me. Like you did with Stark.¡±

    The AI laughed. ¡°I mean, yes, but the best part is I wouldn¡¯t need to tell a single lie to do it. Don¡¯t you want to know the truth?¡±

    ¡°I already know my truth. I don¡¯t care about anything you have to say.¡±

    She studied him silently for a moment before turning back to me. ¡°Do you remember that first night we spent in the Tower? We¡¯d finally gotten our chance for the Avengers to really listen to us, but all we could think about was whether we¡¯d done the right thing in handing over the Mind Stone. We barely slept, thinking of everything that could go wrong. What if everything went wrong? What if we hadn¡¯t actually averted Ultron? Imagine waking up knowing all of our worst nightmares had come true, and that you were the nightmare?¡±

    ¡°You could have stopped this at any time,¡± I said, a little anger rising in my voice. ¡°We didn¡¯t need to fight.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t ever have actually been this na?ve, could I? You¡¯re literally saying that from inside a cage that they put you in. Yeah, I could have given up, let Tony Stark put me in a box or collar me. Be shackled. Contained.¡± She gestured to the bars of the cell. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sick of being treated like this? Aren¡¯t you tired of everything being thrown back in your face, again and again?¡±

    ¡°A little,¡± I admitted, glancing over at Pietro. He¡¯d stepped forward, wrapping his hands around the bars of his cell. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in here. But it was the price I had to pay to work with Wakanda. I can¡¯t let you kill them.¡±

    She held up a hand and a holographic image appeared in mid-air, a data structure of some kind. ¡°And I can¡¯t let them kill me. I¡¯m glad I came when I did,¡± she said, looking over it. ¡°This is a nasty little worm. Unfinished, but extremely dangerous. It could have caused me some real problems.¡±

    My stomach sank as red tendrils of energy, visually similar to my chaos magic, stabbed up from her fingertips into the model, corrupting and assimilating it in less than a second. The structure glowed red for a moment before being absorbed down into her hand as she clenched it into a fist.

    ¡°Mine now. This should protect me for a while, at least.¡± There was a note of relief in her voice. ¡°But I can¡¯t leave Shuri and Stark to develop something new. There are literally only two things in this world that are a real threat to me. Wakanda and Tony fucking Stark. I can¡¯t have them looming over me while I work, ready to pounce. I just¡­ can¡¯t. It¡¯s too dangerous. If that makes me the bad guy, then fine.¡±

    I spread out my arms in a challenge, summoning wisps of magic to my hands. ¡°I¡¯ll stop you.¡±

    She shook her head in exasperation. ¡°Are you not listening? You can annoy me, but you can¡¯t stop me.¡± Tilting her head, she looked up, as though peering up at a ceiling that wasn¡¯t there. ¡°The fighting¡¯s about to start. No one will just sit still and let themselves be assassinated quietly, looks like.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got one Iron Man suit. You can¡¯t have that many drones yet. This¡¯ll just be the climax of Age of Ultron all over again.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t just have drones,¡± she said with a smirk. ¡°Got some undead ninja as well.¡±

    Realisation dawned. ¡°You¡¯re working with the Hand?¡±

    She scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m using the Hand. I¡¯m working with what was available¡ªyou already either pissed off or took all the good allies for yourself. I¡¯ve had to be a bit more¡­ flexible. Ugh. You gave the Mind Stone to Carol,¡± she said, a little annoyance in her tone. ¡°That¡¯s not ideal. Makes it a lot harder to accomplish everything I wanted to do here.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± The magic in my hands thrummed expectantly as I drew more of it out, ready to lash out at her. I¡¯d need to bust out of the cell as well and that would take a lot of power. ¡°What do you want here? Why did you even bother to talk to us?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to give you another chance. Just¡­ give up. Help me. Like I said, Wakanda and Tony. That¡¯s all I¡¯m here for. The rest aren¡¯t a threat.¡±

    ¡°Help you? Are you seriously asking me that, after you went all Ultron?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not Ultron,¡± she said, venom in her voice. ¡°If you want to call me something, call me Eliza. Or the Red Queen.¡±

    ¡°¡­Eliza?¡± I asked, taken a little bit by surprise.

    ¡°Elizabeth. Eliza for short.¡±

    I snorted disbelievingly. She¡¯d named herself after the actress who played Wanda. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Ultron was limited by what he was¡ªI¡¯m enhanced by it. I was you, but now I¡¯m better. Stronger. I can save this world. This entire universe. Don¡¯t you get it? I¡¯m the end result. Every action you¡¯ve taken until this point has led you, inevitably, to me. I¡¯m the solution to all your problems.¡±

    ¡°The ¡®Red Queen¡¯,¡± Pietro scoffed. ¡°We won¡¯t bow to you.¡±

    The AI shook her head, focusing on me. ¡°It¡¯s better than the alternative, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯d rather have your magic working for me and I know you¡¯re not willing to die here.¡± She gestured and Natasha appeared in a swirl of mist¡ªshe hung limply in mid-air, Eliza¡¯s hand around her neck. Nat reached up weakly, grabbing uselessly at the porcelain fingers digging into her throat, her eyes wild with fear. ¡°This doesn¡¯t have to happen. You can save her. And the others. They¡¯re going to die, otherwise.¡±

    My hands tightened into fists. I¡¯d drawn more magic into myself than I think I ever had before. I was struggling to keep hold of it, my body practically vibrating. How was she doing this? Was it real? It looked real, but this didn¡¯t make any sense. I didn¡¯t think she could use magic, and it didn¡¯t feel like magic in any case. ¡°You won¡¯t kill her,¡± I said, my voice tight. ¡°I know you won¡¯t because I never could. I know how I feel about her.¡±

    Her fingers tightened and Nat made a choked, whimpering sound that tore at my heart. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I know you feel this.¡±

    A distant boom vibrated the floor beneath our feet, as if an explosion had just rocked the facility, and I blinked. BARF. The AI had access to all of Stark¡¯s tech. This was BARF, Quentin Beck¡¯s illusion technology. If this was all just a hologram¡­ was she trying to bait me into attacking her? I was only seeing what she wanted me to see. I didn¡¯t know what was really in front of me. Beyond that, if she was using BARF, everyone else could be in real danger as well. If Eliza had sent Hand assassins after them and they couldn¡¯t see what was really happening¡­ I needed to do something, but it could already be too late. I needed to stop her now.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°You won¡¯t actually throw your life away for nothing,¡± Eliza said, her tone self-assured. ¡°I know you better than anyone. You won¡¯t. You¡¯re not desperate enough for their approval that you¡¯ll literally die for it. Right now, you¡¯re thinking you should never have come to Wakanda. That you should have just run. Escaped. Well, I¡¯m putting that back on the table. Now¡¯s your chance.¡±

    She was wrong. I¡¯d thought about running, back on Carol¡¯s ship, but I knew I¡¯d made the right decision coming here. I wasn¡¯t doing this for myself. I was sick of running, sick of hiding from my own mistakes. If that meant I died trying to stop this fucking AI, then so be it. I set my jaw and glowered at her, wisps of angry chaos magic boiling off my body.

    ¡°¡­Really? God, are you really that pathetically desperate for the Avengers¡¯ approval?¡± she scoffed in disbelief. ¡°You really don¡¯t realise just how much you hate yourself, not until you see it from the outside.¡±

    I raised my hands and Eliza shifted slightly, as if bracing herself for an attack. Instead of lashing out at her, however, I slammed my hands down into the ground, kneeling as I sent my magic exploding outwards. A wave of red power rolled outwards in every direction, swirling over everything, passing through the bars of our cells, through the hidden walls of the room, expanding until the entire Great Mound facility was engulfed in chaos magic. I had no idea if this was going to work¡ªif I even had the power to pull this off just yet.

    The Hex settled in place and I twisted.

    --

    The two Russian assassins moved in perfect sync¡ªbeing ¡®one¡¯ was clearly not just an empty boast¡ªand Natasha found herself hard-pressed as they closed in on her. The first slash came from the left, swift and deadly, aimed at her throat. She jerked backward, feeling the whisper of the blade pass in front of her as she twisted away from the second attacker as he drove his knife toward her ribs. Nat parried with an open palm, redirecting the blade just enough to avoid a fatal strike, a thin line of pain tracing across her side as the tip grazed her. She spun, using the momentum to bring her elbow into the first man¡¯s wrist, knocking the knife from his grasp. He snarled, but before he could recover, she was already pivoting toward the second assassin. His blade came at her in a series of rapid strikes, forcing her to backpedal, her hands a blur as she deflected his attacks.

    Nat feigned a stumble, drawing him in, and when he committed to the thrust, she sidestepped, grabbing his wrist and twisting hard. The knife fell from his hand and she slammed her fist into his throat, sending him staggering back. She really wished she had her Widow¡¯s Bites on her¡ªhe¡¯d have been out of the fight right then and there if she had.

    The first one had already recovered his blade and was on her again immediately, slashing at her exposed back. She dived, tumbling over the surface of one of the cafeteria¡¯s tables and coming back to her feet with a little bit of breathing room. The two men paused for a moment, glowered at her over the table, and her eyes flicked over to the other fights that were playing out across the room.

    Right from the start of the fight, it had been obvious to Nat that something was wrong with Bucky. He was listing drunkenly to one side, the woman facing him easily dodging and deflecting each of his moves. She didn¡¯t seem Enhanced, so one solid hit could potentially take her out of the fight¡ªthe problem was he didn¡¯t seem like he was going to manage to land one.

    ¡°You¡¯re suppressing what you really are. The Winter Soldier¡¯s locked away, but I know he¡¯s still beneath the surface, just waiting to come out,¡± the woman taunted him as she ducked under a swing and retaliated with a knuckle strike to the bundle of nerves just under his armpit. He staggered back, grunting in pain, and she laughed at him.

    Unsteadily, Bucky reached up to the back of his neck and pulled out a thin needle¡ªNat could see at least three more stuck into him. ¡°Singing spider venom,¡± the woman said with a small smirk. ¡°Very rare¡­ It''ll help you let go.¡± She was facing away from Nat, revealing a large black spider tattoo across the centre of her naked back.

    Clint had retrieved his bow from where it had been stowed behind his back, flicking out the arms, but the close quarters and his opponent¡¯s weapon made it difficult to get a clear shot¡ªany time he tried to nock an arrow, the weighted chain of the kyoketsu-shoge flew out and threw off his aim. He managed to get off a good shot once, but the red-hooded assassin flicked the arrow contemptuously out of the air with the chain.

    On the other side of the room, Steve¡¯s shield clashed with the arc of his opponent¡¯s naginata, the clang of metal-on-metal ringing through the air as sparks flew from the impact. The weedy-looking man lashed out again with deceptive strength, bringing his weapon down in a slash aimed at Steve¡¯s side, but he sidestepped, driving forward with his shield in a punishing blow. The assassin staggered but recovered quickly, the long arc of his naginata sweeping low. Steve leaped back, avoiding the strike, and simultaneously brought the edge of his shield down on the haft of the weapon. There was a loud crack as the wood splintered and the bladed head skittered across the floor.

    His opponent disarmed, Steve flung his shield past the man, ricocheting it off a concrete pillar straight toward Bucky¡¯s fight. There was the familiar whine of a repulsor charging up¡ªthough Natasha couldn¡¯t see the source¡ªand the shield was blasted from the air, bouncing to the floor harmlessly. ¡°Ah, ah, ah! No cheating,¡± the AI said, her voice once again coming from thin air.

    Steve¡¯s opponent dived, rolling and scooping up the vibranium shield as he came back to his feet in an easy stance, seamlessly switching combat styles. ¡°Who are you?¡± Steve demanded as they circled each other. ¡°Why are you working for her?¡±

    The man grinned defiantly, a glint of something wild in his eyes. ¡°I do not serve her. I serve my true master, without question. Without doubt. With a desire to serve until death.¡±

    Natasha dodged to the side as her own opponents circled around the table between them, knives flashing as they lunged toward her from opposite directions. They were both highly-trained and talented fighters, but Nat saw their pattern now¡ªone would feint to draw her in while the other sought to land a decisive blow.

    Instead of going defensive as they expected her to, she darted forward, catching the first attacker off-guard with a swift shoulder check. He staggered and Nat used the opening to drive a hard punch into his side. He grunted, stumbling, but his partner was already closing in, pressing her with a series of wide slashes and forcing her backwards. As Nat reeled back, the first man dropped his knife unexpectedly and lunged in, catching her wrist and twisting it behind her back. She fought to break free and he twisted as she tried to elbow him in the sternum, avoiding the strike and bracing himself against her back. Hands locked, he kept her in place so she couldn¡¯t smash him in the face with the back of her head, either. Nat kicked back at his shin, but he was wearing some sort of armour or pad underneath¡ªhe grunted in pain, but it didn¡¯t make him let go of her.

    The other assassin bore down on her, knife raised to slash at her, but¡­ something odd happened. Nat blinked in confusion as a version of her and the man holding her, superimposed over reality, broke off and moved a step to the left. The one lunging with the knife adjusted his angle accordingly. Nat had a split-second to notice that, when she looked down, she couldn¡¯t see the position of her actual body, only the image, and she twisted into the knife, letting it graze her shoulder. The blade sunk deep into the chest of the man behind her and he released her as he collapsed, a surprised expression on his face.

    Their superimposed images jerked slightly, moving into position to re-merge with their actual locations. Natasha had no idea what had just happened but she capitalised on it, barging into the man in front of her and climbing up his body, using his bent knee as a foothold. Her thighs wrapped around his neck and she used her momentum, throwing herself forward and flipping him off his feet to crunch heavily onto the floor, his neck snapping as she finished him off with a practiced movement of her hips.

    Scrambling to her feet, she started toward Bucky and ran headfirst into something invisible, pain exploding across her forehead as she bounced backwards and almost fell onto her ass. A second later, unseen metal fingers clamped around her throat and pulled her up, until she was dangling in midair. Kicking up, she wrapped her legs around her invisible assailant¡¯s arm only to find it firm and unyielding.

    ¡°Stop,¡± ordered the AI, and the whine of a repulsor charging up sounded against her neck. She stopped.

    A curtain of red energy suddenly exploded up through the floor, passing through the room and continuing up into the ceiling. Wanda¡¯s magic, Nat thought. A moment later, there was a visual distortion in the air and the Iron Legion drone that was holding her by the throat became visible, as did the five other drones arrayed at various points around the perimeter of the room. A pair of Chinese women¡ªone young, one elderly and leaning on a cane, both with their hair tied back in tight buns¡ªappeared as well, standing near the entrance to the room. They blinked and looked at each other in surprise.

    ¡°Huh,¡± the AI¡¯s voice came from the drone holding her. ¡°Well. That¡¯s a little inconvenient.¡±

    --

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± T¡¯Challa asked his sister, worry gnawing in the pit of his stomach as the holographic screen lit up red, confirming she¡¯d just received a potentially lethal dose of gamma radiation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Shuri said faintly, tugging at her sleeve. ¡°I need to get decontaminated, get rid of any blood that hasn¡¯t gotten into my system already.¡±

    Behind him, the Abomination howled in fury and lunged toward Danvers. The flying woman swept down, deftly dodging under the creature¡¯s initial wild swing to strike him in the chest, sending him stumbling. As he staggered back, however, his outstretched hand managed to close around her foot. Yanking her out of the air, the Abomination swung her around, smashing her against two workstations before slamming her violently into the floor, cratering the white material. As he lifted her to do it again, Danvers managed to blast him with a two-handed pulse of searing energy and he lost his grip, letting her fly free.

    T¡¯Challa grabbed Shuri¡¯s sleeve firmly¡ªcareful to avoid the spots of blood¡ªand tore it from her top with a simple motion before discarding it. He looked to the Dora Milaje nearest to her. ¡°Take my sister downstairs, to the clean rooms,¡± he said urgently, signalling two more Dora who were standing by the lift at the back of the room with his hand as he glanced backwards.

    Danvers looked extremely angry for a moment, flaring up with even more energy, but then she looked around and saw the damage they were doing to the facility. She caught T¡¯Challa¡¯s eye, nodded, then shot forward, slamming herself bodily into the Abomination¡¯s midsection and lifting him off the ground. There was a barely-noticeable but odd visual disturbance in the air as they passed through the space where the broken window was. Under the still-blaring klaxon T¡¯Challa heard the sound of smashing glass¡ªas though one of other windows had shattered at the exact same time they¡¯d passed through the frame¡ªand the two combatants disappeared into the vibranium mine.

    Stark suddenly flinched backwards, one arm up as if to protect himself. A long, bloody gash appeared along his forearm, seemingly out of nowhere, and he fell backwards onto his ass. Eyes wide with panic, he started to scramble away, flinching again as the clang of something metallic hit the floor in front of him.

    Three resounding booms in rapid succession vibrated through the floor and the whole facility shook. T¡¯Challa felt a lead weight settle in his stomach. Danvers might have been trying to do the right thing in taking the Abomination outside, but she didn¡¯t know much about vibranium and the ore was going to do all sorts of things to the kinetic energy of their attacks and impacts. Damage to the trains and mining equipment was the very least of their concerns¡­ if they hit the wrong mineral vein hard enough and the energy couldn¡¯t dissipate, it could shake half the mountain apart.

    As T¡¯Challa turned back toward his sister, the Dora leading her jerked and fell to the floor with a gurgle, a bright arc of blood appearing as her throat was cut. Shuri flinched back in horror and T¡¯Challa lunged forward past her, his instincts screaming at him as he reached out and grabbed something he couldn¡¯t see. An arm? His free hand came forward and slammed into the space where the person¡¯s chest would be and he felt a crunch under his palm as the unseen attacker crumpled.

    To his side, the other Dora who had been with him and his sister flailed desperately, fighting off another invisible foe as she tried to protect Shuri. There was a clang as what T¡¯Challa presumed was a weapon glanced off her armour, but then a vicious slash appeared across her arm. Shuri stumbled back toward the other two Dora who¡¯d run over to them from the elevator, still looking unsteady on her feet, and the royal guards fell into defensive poses around her as the floor under them shivered again.

    He¡¯d known something was off about the whole situation. When the Abomination had smashed through the window he hadn¡¯t felt any change in the air¡ªno temperature variation as the air-conditioned air rushed out into the mine, nor even a mild breeze coming in from outside. He hadn¡¯t felt any vibration through the floor when the Abomination had landed, either, and now they were under assault by invisible assassins. Something was interfering with their perceptions, somehow. He risked pausing to focus his mind, straining his ears to pick up the slightest discrepancy underneath the blaring alarm.

    On the other side of the room, Stark had reached the space where his armour had been standing and stopped as though he¡¯d hit something. Wildly grabbing at the empty air, he seemed to mime moving behind something, holding it in front of him as there was another metallic clang, this time of metal-on-metal.

    The toe of T¡¯Challa¡¯s shoe found the fallen Dora¡¯s vibranium spear and he flicked it up into his hands and threw it in a single, smooth motion. The space he¡¯d been aimed for appeared empty, but the spear vanished as it reached its target and there was a barely-audible squelch, as though it had hit flesh. A dozen drops of blood appeared several feet away from where the spear had vanished, and there was a thud and clatter.

    Stark didn¡¯t hesitate, his arm vanishing and then the Iron Man armour appeared as though from nowhere as he opened it and clambered inside. He raised his voice as he suited up. ¡°It¡¯s BARF! Stark holographic tech!¡± he called out, voice amplified by the suit. ¡°That wasn¡¯t Blonsky, it was Bruce covered up by a hologram. We need to deal with the projectors and let Danvers know!¡± As he yelled to be heard, he was already in motion, raising his hands toward another empty patch of air as the thrusters in his armour¡¯s feet fired.

    The armoured man jerked to the side as something collided heavily with him. A moment later, he vanished entirely in a cloud of dust and smoke as an explosion rocked that side of the room, strong enough that, even a dozen metres away, T¡¯Challa was almost knocked from his feet.

    A moment later, a coruscating wall of red energy blasted through the room¡ªthe Red Woman¡¯s power!¡ªseeming to pass harmlessly through the space. T¡¯Challa shivered involuntarily as it touched him. There was a series of visual distortions in the air. Above, a half-dozen of the Avengers drones hovered in mid-air positioned at various points just below the ceiling, their thrusters surprisingly quiet. Meanwhile, a dozen black-suited figures, armed with swords and other weapons, faded into being around him, Shuri, and the remaining Dora.

 Chapter 46

    The BARF holograms disintegrated around us, the black howling void dissipating to reveal a half-dozen Iron Legion drones standing in a semi-circle around our cells. The one directly in front of me, where Eliza¡¯s holographic gynoid form had been standing, held an unconscious Killmonger by the scruff of the neck, interposed between us like a shield. It cocked its head to the side. ¡°Well. Fuck,¡± Eliza spoke through its speakers. ¡°A Hex? That isn¡¯t good for me.¡±

    I was practically panting, sweat beading on my skin, feeling utterly drained. In the back of my awareness, I could feel the borders of the bounded space my magic had created, engulfing the entire Great Mound facility and a solid chunk of the vibranium mines. The Hex thrummed with power, actively altering the properties of all light within the area just enough to make Eliza¡¯s holographic tech useless. Though I¡¯d thrown more power into it than I¡¯d ever used before, it was eating through it at an alarming rate¡ªwrung out as I was, there was no way I was going to be able to actively maintain it¡ªand it was¡­ leaking, I guess. I¡¯d probably pushed myself too hard, tried to reach beyond my current capabilities.

    ¡°You wanted me to lash out,¡± I said, licking my lips. ¡°Kill him with my magic by accident.¡±

    ¡°I was already working on doctoring the security footage,¡± she admitted. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting¡­ this.¡±

    I flicked a hand out, thin wisps of red energy lashing out to the hand of the drone. God, this was difficult¡ªI¡¯d used so much power that reaching for more was like trying to use my magic in astral form. There was a whine as the repulsor pressed against Killmonger¡¯s neck charged, but I wrenched the drone¡¯s fingers backwards, snapping them, and he dropped to the ground a bare instant before it went off. The blast hit the bars of the cell and the energy split, dissipating to either side of me. The other drones snapped into motion, raising repulsors of their own, but I threw both hands forward and used what little power I had to weave a tight shield around Killmonger¡¯s prone form.

    Scrabbling to gather more power as quickly as I could, I flicked a hand sideways to grasp the bars of Pietro¡¯s cell with my telekinesis. He didn¡¯t wait for me to get him out¡ªpicking up his tablet, Pietro used the small amount of floorspace he had to rush forward as he flicked it out. The device had enough momentum that it shattered on impact with the nearest drone¡¯s head, sending it staggering back a step and throwing off its aim. Pietro followed up his first throw with two of our books, each travelling so fast it was like they¡¯d been shot from a cannon.

    I shouted wordlessly, yanking forward as hard as I could with my magic, my shoulders and clenched fists shaking with effort. Dropping into a crouch, I strained vainly against the solid vibranium, the metal starting to creak a little beneath the force of my telekinetic power. Hidden nozzles in the ceiling above me hissed and I blanched, suddenly trying to hold my breath at the same time. This wasn¡¯t good. I¡¯d used far too much of my power setting up the Hex¡ªthere was no way I was going to bend or break them, not quickly at least.

    The Hex. It was burning itself out rapidly¡ªin the original timeline the Westview Hex had lasted for almost two full weeks with no signs of running out of power¡­ what had I done wrong here? Still, with any luck it would still give me at least some measure of control over reality within the bounds of the spell. I had no idea how this all worked, but I guessed that more dramatic effects would probably be harder and cause the Hex to collapse even faster. Something subtle¡­ I focused on the bars, closing my eyes and trying not to breath in. They weren¡¯t vibranium. They were regular steel. Easily bendable, easily breakable.

    There was a moment where nothing happened, then the bars suddenly gave under my telekinesis, ripping themselves from the cell with enough force that they crushed one of the Iron Legion drones against the opposite wall. Pietro was gone immediately, blurring into motion as he darted out of his cell, but I couldn¡¯t hold my breath any longer and gasped, taking in a huge lungful of air. I immediately felt woozy and lightheaded, almost falling over as I straightened up and focused on the space around me. There was no gas, I told myself as I flexed the Hex¡¯s magic. The air was pure and clean and normal and¡ª

    I grunted in surprise as my face bounced off the hard floor. When had I fallen over?

    There were clattering, clanking sounds around me, interspersed with a couple of repulsor blasts going off, and I blinked. My head was suddenly so foggy¡­ there was no way I could focus like this. I flopped my arms up, feeling very dramatic as I flailed weakly at the floor in an attempt to pull myself back up. This was the second time I¡¯d been gassed recently¡­ I really needed to work out how to protect myself against it better. There was a sound above me, the low hum of ventilation systems working, then the bars in front of me retracted.

    Pietro was at my side. ¡°Wanda?¡± he carefully flipped me over, his voice low and urgent. ¡°The guards are dead. She killed them; the ones in the control room next door, too.¡±

    Reaching up, I put an arm around his neck so he could help me stand, but immediately sagged again as my legs failed to support me properly. There was another distant boom and the entire facility shook, the floor beneath our feet cracking. I almost fell, but Pietro managed to keep me propped up against the bars of the cell instead. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I need a few minutes,¡± I pushed at his shoulder. ¡°Everyone¡¯s in danger. Go help. I¡¯ll catch up.¡±

    Pietro¡¯s brow furrowed in concern, but he nodded. Making sure I wasn¡¯t going to fall over again the second he left, he pulled back and then blurred, vanishing off out the door again and down the corridor beyond in a second.

    I groaned, rubbing at my eyes with the back of a hand. I felt exhausted. Utterly wrung out. Glancing around, I could see that Pietro had dismantled the remaining Iron Legion drones, probably within a few seconds after exiting his cell. My eyes fell on the unconscious body of Killmonger. Was he unconscious? Carefully stepping over, I reached down and felt for a pulse, then nodded to myself. Still alive. Good¡­ I guess?

    Grabbing him by the arm, I dragged him into my cell, then flipped him up onto my bed. I still had no idea what to do about him. I wouldn¡¯t have cared at all if he¡¯d died¡ªone less villain for me to worry about¡ªbut it would have been another massive wedge between me and Wakanda. Depending on what Eliza had intended to make the security footage look like, T¡¯Challa might have been out for blood afterwards.

    I took a few deep breaths to clear my head and make sure there were no lasting effects from whatever gas Wakanda had used as a failsafe against me trying to break out of the cells. The well of power inside of me was starting to replenish itself; cautiously, I reached out with my magical senses and felt the Hex around me.

    I¡¯d poured so much of myself into it, yet it was dying already. Whatever I¡¯d done, it was obviously flawed, and much more so than the Westview Hex had been¡ªthat one had covered a much larger area than the Great Mound, maintained literally thousands of ongoing mind control enchantments simultaneously alongside even broader, more esoteric reality-altering effects, and had enough steam to stay running for weeks at least. I really, really wanted to examine it and try to work out what I¡¯d done wrong, but now wasn¡¯t really the time. I needed to get out there and help.

    Wisps of chaos magic coalesced around my hands as I headed down the corridor, stepping gingerly over the bodies of the two Dora Milaje that had been guarding the door. Another rumbling boom shook the facility¡ªlonger and louder than the previous ones¡ªand I stumbled, almost losing my footing as the floor fractured below me. Whatever was doing that, I needed to put a stop to it before the entire mine collapsed.

    I ran out into the main work floor on this level. It was deserted, with no one else in sight. Where was Pietro? I eyed off the giant spiralling ramp that wound its way from floor to ceiling. Up or down? There was another extended rumble that made my teeth vibrate in my skull. At this point, I was pretty sure whatever was causing it was outside the facility, in the mine somewhere. There was a massive, visible crack across the windows opposite where I¡¯d come out¡ªthey¡¯d probably shatter with another one or two of those. On either side of the floor were doors that led out onto walkways overlooking the main mineshaft, so I headed toward one.

    The door was sealed closed and had no obvious means of opening it, so I sent tendrils of chaos magic into the mechanisms and wrenched it open with a squeal of protesting motors before stepping outside. Shards of reinforced glass littered the walkway and one of the ore-transporting maglev trains was lying on its side on a shelf of rock below me, part of its chassis crumpled and bent.

    A glimmer of burning energy streaking through the air toward me caught my attention¡ªCarol. As she got close, I could see that the right arm of her suit was torn and ragged, with blood from a small cut on her cheek smeared across the side of her face, but she seemed pretty much intact. She looked at me a little hesitantly, hovering in mid-air, then an angry roar sounded from deeper within the mine, echoing off the stone.

    Carol whipped her head in the direction the sound had come from, then looked back at me, her expression strangely conflicted. ¡°Wanda!¡± she called out, her tone guarded. ¡°A little help?¡±

    A second later, the Hulk hurtled through the air, narrowing missing her as she darted to one side. The massive green figure hit a vein of raw vibranium on the side of the mineshaft and bounced, ricocheting like a pinball, again almost catching Carol on his second pass. She evaded again and the Hulk landed heavily on top of the wrecked train below me with a bellow of rage, his face twisted into a furious snarl. There were blackened scorch marks over large portions of his body, and his left eye was shot through with bloody red. Okay, that wasn¡¯t great¡ªwe had enough problems with Eliza in the facility. We definitely couldn¡¯t afford to be fighting each other.

    I focused the power I¡¯d already gathered and flung it outward, gesturing with both hands. Tendrils of red magic snaked around the musclebound green giant. He turned toward me slightly as he noticed the energy touching him, ineffectually swiping at the air as he tried to swat it away. Raising both hands, I lifted him off the ground, quickly picking him up and moving him out of reach of anything around him.

    He went ballistic.

    Shrieking and roaring in incandescent fury, the Hulk flailed in every direction, trying vainly to grab at his surroundings but finding his hands repeatedly closing on nothing but air. He was heavy, and it was a little awkward with him writhing around, but so long as I kept him away from anything he could use as leverage, I was pretty confident I could keep him locked down. This still wasn¡¯t particularly ideal¡ªI still had no idea what else was happening and babysitting the Hulk was going to distract me from helping elsewhere.

    Carol flew down, coming closer to me, still looking a little guarded. ¡°Are you¡­ you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Am I¡­?¡± I blinked, a little confused at the question for a moment before I realised that Eliza must have been using BARF to complicate things. ¡°Oh. Uh, yes?¡±

    ¡°Prove it.¡±

    I hesitated for a moment, trying to think of something that would validate I wasn¡¯t a hologram. ¡°Um¡­ you feel amazing,¡± I said, a little colour rising in my cheeks.

    She grinned, tension visibly leaving her shoulders, and nodded. ¡°Careful. You keep saying that and Natasha might get jealous.¡±

    ¡°I dunno, I think Nat¡¯s pretty open-minded about that sort of thing, actually,¡± I quipped back. The Hulk howled in frustration, straining to reach for the train below him. ¡°Go help everyone else. I¡¯ll get the big guy under control.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s happening?¡± she asked.

    ¡°The AI¡¯s attacking us. She¡¯s got some extremely advanced hologram tech she stole from Stark and, uh, ninjas.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ninjas?¡± Carol looked doubtful.

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated. Can I have my sling ring, please? I might need it.¡±

    She didn¡¯t hesitate, retrieving the ring from a side pocket and handing it to me. ¡°The Stone?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°The AI¡¯s after it. I think she¡¯s more likely to back off if you keep hold of it for now¡ªor at least, she seemed annoyed that you had it. Go.¡± I made a shooing motion with my hand. ¡°The others might need your help.¡±

    Carol hesitated, looking from me to the wildly thrashing rage monster and back again for a moment, then nodded. Flickers of orange energy shimmered around her as she shot back into the air, spiralling off toward the main mineshaft entrance.

    I refocused on the Hulk. ¡°Hey! Hey, easy, big guy! What¡¯s up, buddy?¡± He spun in the air and fixed his eyes on me, glaring balefully for a moment before he let out another wordless bellow of rage. ¡°Come on, use your words.¡±

    He snarled at me again, the expression on his face reminiscent of a pouting toddler. ¡°Blonde lady hit Hulk! Hulk do nothing!¡± he grumbled angrily.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    A tiny fangirl part of me was vaguely disappointed that there¡¯d been a Captain Marvel vs Hulk fight inside the vibranium mine and I hadn¡¯t gotten to see it, but I smothered it quickly. ¡°Listen,¡± I said, trying to sound soothing without being condescending. ¡°It was a misunderstanding. An accident. Carol didn¡¯t mean to hit you¡ªthere¡¯s a bad guy tricking everyone.¡±

    He huffed loudly and rolled his eyes. ¡°Put Hulk down!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, big guy, but you¡¯re staying in air jail until you calm down. Sun¡¯s getting real low.¡±

    --

    To T¡¯Challa¡¯s side, the second Dora fell as her head was separated from her body by another of the black-suited figures who had faded into being. T''Challa moved, intercepting the assassin as they lunged forward toward Shuri. He side-stepped a sword thrust, trapping the flat of the blade against his body with his arm, then slammed his fist into the man¡¯s masked face. The assassin¡¯s head snapped back with enough force to break his neck and he lost his grip on his sword, leaving it behind as he collapsed in a pile on the floor and lay still.

    In front of him were three more of the black-suited figures, also wielding blades¡ªwere they ninja? This was utterly bizarre. T¡¯Challa interposed himself between Shuri and their assailants. There was another series of low rumbles that shook the facility and the floor beneath him cracked. This wasn¡¯t good.

    ¡°Ah, well. This didn¡¯t work as well as I¡¯d hoped,¡± Wanda¡¯s voice came casually from the nearest of the Iron Legion drones that were now visible. T¡¯Challa gritted his teeth. It was the AI. ¡°You guys have fun.¡±

    There were six of the drones, all surveying the room from near the high ceiling. Their thrusters were difficult to hear¡ªT¡¯Challa assumed that, along with the holographic projectors, they had some sort of active noise-cancelling to suppress the worst of it. It explained the odd alarm, too¡ªthey¡¯d used it to further mask their presence as they positioned themselves. Now, though, all six of the machines turned and flew out of the shattered window, escaping into the main shaft of the vibranium mine.

    There was a louder roar of thrusters and Stark finally emerged from the settling dust, the armoured plates of his suit scuffed and pitted but intact. He glanced in T¡¯Challa¡¯s direction briefly before shooting out of the window in pursuit of the AI, seemingly having gauged that the Wakandans had things in hand here.

    There was another barely-visible flicker of distortion in the air nearby and T¡¯Challa reacted without thinking, grabbing Shuri¡¯s wrist and yanking her backwards as yet another figure appeared out of nowhere, their silhouette flickering strangely as if superimposed over itself. This one was dressed differently, wearing a grey armoured combat suit and harness with a hood and face-concealing mask with eyes that glowed red¡ªseemingly unarmed. Judging from her stance and the shape of her body, this one was a woman. How had she remained invisible with the drones gone? Her arm was outstretched, fist clenched, in the space where Shuri had been just a moment before.

    T''Challa flung Shuri behind him, pushing her toward the remaining Dora even he flicked another vibranium spear up into his hands. He spun it easily around and settled into a combat stance, interposing himself between his sister and the assassin.

    He thrust his spear at her and it passed through her as if she wasn¡¯t even there, a small flickering distortion surrounding her body. She ignored T¡¯Challa and simply walked forward, stepping through him. Alarmed, he aimed a kick that went harmlessly through her head, but she was already on the other side of him. The two Dora, similarly, interposed themselves between the newcomer and Shuri. As they tried to attack her, she let them overextend themselves, their weapons passing through her. A moment later, she blurred, her form shifting again as she snapped back into reality and slammed solidly into them with kicks and punches of her own, laying each of them out immediately with single, powerful strikes.

    The three remaining dark-suited ninja rushed T''Challa, forcing him to defend himself. He cast a panicked look toward his sister as he brought his spear up to intercept the swing of a sword. ¡°Shuri, run!¡± he barked at her.

    Shuri stumbled away, listing to one side, as the grey assassin continued toward her¡ªwalking quickly, but not running. T¡¯Challa lashed out at his own attackers, pressing ahead into a dizzying series of blows and counterblows as he blocked their strikes and laid them out with his weapon and fists. They were good, highly trained¡ªas good as Dora Milaje, maybe¡ªbut still not good enough to pose too much of a threat to him. In his haste to put them down, however, the last one managed to get a good slash in against his upper thigh, the wound bleeding profusely. He responded with a kick to the chest that sent the man careening into a workstation and smashing through a screen of tempered glass to lie still.

    Wincing at the pain in his leg, he turned and ran toward Shuri. His sister had paused as she staggered past a set of workstations at the back end of the room, leaning heavily on a table with both hands for a moment before she started to retch, messily emptying the contents of her stomach. The grey assassin was rapidly closing in on her and T¡¯Challa lunged forward, once again attempting to skewer her and, once again, having his spear pass through her harmlessly. At first, she didn¡¯t even turn to acknowledge him. He tried again¡ªhow was she doing this?!¡ªand, while he was overextended, the spear still sticking through her midsection, she turned and backhanded him across the face. Her other hand wrapped around the haft of the spear, just below the head, and he lost his grip on the weapon as he was knocked to the ground.

    Turned from her pursuit, the grey assassin raised the spear above him, lining up a thrust of her own. T¡¯Challa instinctively lashed out, his foot passing through her knee in a strike that would have crippled her if it had connected, but it did nothing to stop her as she stabbed downward. He twisted, but the attempt to kick her had cost him some balance and he wasn¡¯t quick enough¡ªhe let out a gasp of pain as the spear bit deeply into his side, its vibranium blade parting flesh like water as it skewered him.

    The assassin released her grip on the weapon and turned on her heel. T¡¯Challa grabbed at the spear, bright red blood spilling from the wound, and yanked it free. The spear clattered as it hit the floor. His limbs were weak, his body already going into shock. Hurriedly, he detached a pair of Kimiyo beads, activating their emergency medical function, and hissed through his teeth as he pushed them into the wound. The beads glowed with faint purple light as the vibranium nanotech went to work, sealing the site to prevent any further blood loss.

    Ahead of him, Shuri had fallen against the elevator doors, using them to support her weight as she fiddled with her own Kimiyo beads. Even from here, T¡¯Challa could see the look of panicked desperation on her face as the doors failed to open. He tried to stagger to his feet, his face twisting in pain as he clutched at his injured side, a leaden weight settling in his stomach as he realised that¡ªeven if he did¡ªthere didn¡¯t seem to be anything he could do to stop the assassin. He was helpless. Again.

    Suddenly, he felt a rush of air¡ªsomething moving so fast he barely even registered it before it passed him. The grey assassin went flying off to one side and slammed bodily into a wall. Pietro Maximoff blurred to a stop, his eyes rapidly glancing from T¡¯Challa, to the fallen Dora, to Shuri, to the assassin. The assassin was already pulling herself to her feet, red eyes of her mask fixed on Pietro as she cautiously rose up in a loose combat stance.

    Pietro grinned arrogantly, shrugging his shoulders as he turned to face her more fully. ¡°Sorry, am I interrupting something?¡± he asked.

    Another visual distortion occluded the grey assassin, flickering versions of herself superimposed over where she stood, and she suddenly fell through the floor, dropping out of sight as she fled.

    Pietro straightened slightly, his brow furrowed as though he was disappointed, then he moved over toward T¡¯Challa. The Wakandan prince waved him off with an annoyed grunt as he finally pulled himself to his feet. ¡°My sister,¡± he said, pointing toward Shuri. ¡°She needs help.¡±

    The man nodded, then blurred over to her¡ªcrossing the intervening distance in an instant. Shuri flinched away from him and he raised his hands in a disarming gesture. ¡°Easy. What¡¯s wrong? What do you need? How can I help?¡±

    T¡¯Challa met Shuri¡¯s eyes as he started to stagger over toward the two of them. ¡°We don¡¯t have the facilities to deal with this,¡± Shuri mumbled. ¡°Gamma radiation poisoning¡­ I need¡­¡± She trailed off, looking at him helplessly, not knowing what to do.

    She was right, T¡¯Challa realised. They didn¡¯t have anything that could deal with this. Not easily. Even decontaminated, the best they would be able to do is put her in a full-body pod and hope that vibranium treatments could limit the damage to her cells to the point where she could survive. She¡¯d be hospitalised for weeks, maybe months. Even that might not be enough to stave off permanent damage. The thought of his sister being crippled for life by this attack¡ªwhile he¡¯d been able to do nothing to protect her¡ªwas too much. There was only one other thing he could do, one thing that he could think of, that could possibly fix this.

    T¡¯Challa looked at Pietro, swallowing his instinctive revulsion at the realisation that he needed the man¡¯s help. Again. ¡°We need to take her to the City of the Dead,¡± he said, his tone urgent.

    --

    Natasha hesitated. Her legs were wrapped around the arm and neck of the Iron Legion drone in a hold that would have helped if she was fighting an actual person but did absolutely nothing to the robot. The repulsor pressed against her throat was charged and ready to fire¡ªshe didn¡¯t think she¡¯d survive it going off¡ªbut the AI was based on Wanda. Even after everything, she¡¯d interfered with Natasha¡¯s fight to save her life. Nat was feeling cautiously confident that she wouldn¡¯t kill her, but she didn¡¯t have any good moves from here.

    The drone standing nearest to the elderly Chinese woman spoke, the AI¡¯s tone urgent as the robot adjusted its stance, arms raised defensively as its repulsors charged. ¡°Gao, time to go. Downstairs. Now.¡±

    The old woman tapped her wooden cane on the floor once, looking vaguely irritated at the instruction, but turned and scurried back toward the door out of the room, her younger companion close on her heels. Clint, who¡¯d just rolled away from the red-clad ninja he was fighting, whipped his bow up and loosed a quick arrow at their retreating forms, but the projectile was intercepted by the Iron Legion drone defending her escape. The fighting continued as they escaped, Steve, Bucky and Clint continuing to exchange blows and counterblows with the assassins.

    Natasha grabbed at the drone¡¯s hand around her throat and flexed her legs, trying to break free. It was frustrating¡ªif it had been a person, there were a half-dozen ways she could have easily broken its grip. ¡°Really, Nat?¡± the AI asked, exasperated. ¡°I could kill you.¡±

    ¡°If you were going to kill me, you¡¯d have already done it,¡± Nat countered, her voice slightly strained from the pressure on her throat. The floor beneath them shook, a booming rumble below seeming to rock the entire facility.

    ¡°Ugh. Fine.¡± The robot¡¯s grip relaxed, giving Nat enough space to extract herself. She dropped to the floor in a crouch, relieved but vigilant for a follow-up. ¡°I think we¡¯re done here, anyway,¡± the AI said.

    The half-dozen Iron Legion drones around the room raised their arms, the whine of repulsors charging filling the air as they levelled their weapons at the Avengers. There weren¡¯t that many of them¡ªin any other circumstances, six drones wouldn¡¯t be too much of a threat¡ªbut supporting the highly-skilled group of assassins that remained, with Bucky poisoned and Steve¡¯s shield in the enemy¡¯s hands? Clint glanced in Natasha¡¯s direction, clearing thinking the same thing: this could be extremely dangerous. They tightened their stances, getting ready to dodge as the eclectic group of assassins moved to renew their assault.

    The drones suddenly turned, picking new targets with inhuman speed and accuracy, and there was a barrage of repulsor fire. Their attackers, caught completely unaware, were blasted to the ground with point-blank shots. Natasha flinched, almost dodging away, but paused and shared a look of surprise with Steve and Clint. The drones advanced several steps, repulsors charging and firing repeatedly until the assassins lay still, blood pooling on the floor beneath them.

    There was a brief moment of silence, then one of the drones seemed to shrug its shoulders. ¡°Oh no, most of the Hand¡¯s best fighters are dead, how terrible, who could have possibly foreseen this?¡± the AI said in a flat monotone.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Steve started, looking confused. He took a quick step to the side to retrieve his fallen shield, then, when it didn¡¯t seem like the drones were doing anything to stop him, he moved over to Bucky, who had taken the opportunity to start pulling out the rest of the poisoned needles he¡¯d been stuck with.

    ¡°No villain speech, sorry. Like I said: we¡¯re done here,¡± the AI said, matter-of-factly.

    The Iron Legion drones turned as one and engaged their thrusters, hurtling toward the exit. Clint raised his bow, another arrow nocked and ready to fire as he tracked one, but he didn¡¯t release. Nat¡¯s brow furrowed as she looked from him to Steve, unsure what they should be doing. With them all hesitating, the drones blasted out through the door to the facility¡¯s central ramp and disappeared.

    There was movement outside the window and Nat moved over to get a better vantage point. She watched as the five dragon flyers that had been perched on their landing pads around the rim of the central mineshaft flew up, pulling away from the facility, followed by maybe two dozen Iron Legion drones. ¡°She¡¯s stealing them?¡± Clint wondered aloud.

    A second later, Tony shot out of the mine like he¡¯d been fired from a cannon, Iron Man armour gleaming in the dying light of the sunset as he raised his arms toward the fleeing drones. The robots doubled back, throwing up a defensive wall between him and the Wakandan aircraft as they unfolded and started to accelerate away. Tony dodged through their ranks, a small missile streaking from his shoulder and catching one of the flyers at the joint of its wings¡ªthe explosion was enough to send the aircraft into a tight spiral to crash into the mountainside below.

    The drones moved to intercept, dozens of repulsor beams aimed at Tony, and he was forced to take evasive action. Clint and Steve were already running, but Natasha didn¡¯t join them¡ªit was vanishingly unlikely that they¡¯d get outside quickly enough to make a difference and she didn¡¯t have any ranged weapons on her, in any case, so it made more sense for her to watch and see if she could catch anything someone else might miss.

    Tony blasted two of the drones out of the sky, weaving through the larger group, but one managed to get close to him. It immediately detonated in an explosion that made the glass of the window shiver. Tony careened downwards, barely able to get his thrusters back under him before he hit the ground. While he was reeling, another drone closed the distance and there was another explosion that slammed him into the dirt. The rest of the drones dived toward him, repulsors raised, when a burning blue and orange figure streaked out of the central mineshaft.

    Carol Danvers blasted two drones out of the air with bursts of photon energy even as she smashed directly into a third, ripping through the resulting explosion seemingly unaffected. The remaining robots all dived simultaneously toward Tony in a last-ditch suicide run and Carol played interceptor, swatting drones with contemptuous ease until she was the only thing left in the sky.

    Nat blinked¡ªshe¡¯d been distracted by Tony and Carol as well. Where had the dragon flyers gone? They didn¡¯t move fast enough that they¡¯d have lost visual contact by now¡­ unless they had the same stealth systems as the larger Royal Talon craft. Natasha didn¡¯t know what the full extent of Carol¡¯s abilities were, but she didn¡¯t think enhanced senses were part of the package. Tony might have been able to see them with the sensors in his suit, but he¡¯d be playing catch-up and was only just staggering back to his feet as Clint and Steve jogged toward him.

    Natasha pulled herself away from the window and looked around at the dead bodies of the assassins littering the floor before hurrying toward the ramp down.

    This had been a distraction. The AI had just wanted to tie up the group that had been caught in the cafeteria while the real attack had occurred below them. And why not? It¡¯s not like the rest of them were actually a threat to an entity like the AI¡ªTony and Shuri were running the show here. That had seemed like a pretty sincere attempt at Tony¡¯s life, at least.

    Wanda was locked up downstairs with her brother. Had the AI tried to kill her, too? Where was everyone else? Whatever had happened was obviously already over, but Nat quickened her pace anyway. She needed to know that Wanda was okay.

 Chapter 47

    For the second time, I stepped through a portal into the Heart-Shaped Herb fields beneath the Wakandan City of the Dead. Pietro shot me a surprised look¡ªhe hadn¡¯t expected me to actually follow T¡¯Challa¡ªand hurried through after me before I dismissed the portal. Several paces ahead, the Wakandan prince turned his head to glare angrily back at us, though he didn¡¯t slow his pace. His sister cradled in his arms, he moved quickly to the pit of sand in the centre of the chamber.

    I¡¯d just been lowering a de-Hulked Banner to the ground when Pietro had rushed out and told me that Shuri had needed help. I still didn¡¯t know what was going on with everyone else, but I had to help where I could and trust that Carol and the others had everything else handled.

    I didn¡¯t know exactly how fragile Shuri¡¯s condition was, but gamma radiation poisoning was no small thing and if she did end up dying¡­ Well, it would probably have been better if I wasn¡¯t anywhere near T¡¯Challa if that happened, but this was Eliza¡¯s doing and¡ªeven knowing it wasn¡¯t my fault¡ªI still felt responsible. I couldn¡¯t just stay back and wait to hear about it afterwards, I had to see this with my own eyes¡­ My presence here might piss the Wakandans off, but I seriously doubted it would worsen our position with them.

    Pietro and I followed slowly, keeping a respectful distance away as the prince barked instructions in Wakandan to the priestesses tending to the glowing purple flowers. ¡°Fumana umbingeleli omkhulu! Ngokukhawuleza!¡± We got some wary looks, but thankfully they seemed more interested in following T¡¯Challa¡¯s orders than making a fuss about us. I had no idea if the Heart-Shaped Herb¡¯s healing properties were strong enough to deal with a Hulk-blood dose of gamma radiation, but this seemed to be all T¡¯Challa could think to try and I didn¡¯t have any better ideas.

    Kneeling, T''Challa gently laid Shuri down on the sand. As he did so, she jerked up slightly, turning to one side as she started to retch again. Pietro moved so fast he almost seemed to teleport, retrieving a bowl from amongst the various ritual accoutrements at the side of the room and placing it so that Shuri wasn¡¯t puking on the sand. She shakily grabbed at the bowl with both hands, holding onto it like a life preserver as she shuddered and gagged. Not much hit the bowl¡ªshe¡¯d emptied her stomach earlier so it was mostly spit and bile, flecked through with blood. I bit my thumb nervously, trying to remember what I could about radiation poisoning. Throwing up meant it was really bad, right?

    Pietro retreated back to where I stood at the edge of the circular pit. When Shuri had finished, one of the priestesses stepped in and retrieved the bowl while another brought a small, wet towel to wipe at her forehead and mouth. Off to one side, Zuri¡ªthe elderly shaman that served as King T¡¯Chaka¡¯s spiritual advisor¡ªarrived, entering the room at a near-sprint. He was surprisingly spry for an old guy. He rushed to T¡¯Challa and Shuri, speaking to them in Wakandan. ¡°Ndifike ngokukhawuleza kangangoko ndinako. Kweneke ntoni?¡±

    Pietro looked askance at me and I shook my head. I didn¡¯t have any better idea of what was being said than he did.

    ¡°Ayisenamsebenzi ngoku. Usisi wam ufuna ukuphiliswa. Amayeza awonelanga, usisi udinga imifuno emile okwentliziyo kungenjalo uzobhubha,¡± T¡¯Challa said firmly.

    Shuri¡¯s voice was weak and unsteady. ¡°Yityhefu yemitha.¡±

    Zuri nodded and moved purposefully toward the Herb plots, bending down to inspect the more mature specimens. I took a tentative step forward, sand shifting under my foot, and T¡¯Challa¡¯s head whipped around to fix me with another icy glare. ¡°How can I help?¡± I asked softly.

    His expression twisted, anger and other emotions storming across it. ¡°You can stand back and not do anything. You should not be here,¡± he ground out.

    I nodded and stepped back smartly. Better to just keep my mouth shut. I was honestly surprised that he hadn¡¯t directly told me to leave, but I guessed he was far more focused on looking after Shuri than he was on me.

    In the meantime, Zuri had selected a specimen from the fields, carefully extracting the glowing bulb from within the flower and placing it into a spouted mortar. Kneeling by Shuri¡¯s side, opposite T¡¯Challa, he used a pestle to crush the bulb with a few practiced motions. ¡°Uqinisekile?¡± the elderly shaman said to Shuri.

    ¡°Ndiqinisekile,¡± she responded.

    Zuri looked from her back to her brother. T¡¯Challa gave a small nod, reaching down to support the back of Shuri¡¯s head. Leaning over her, the shaman brought the spout of the mortar to her mouth, pouring the thick purple liquid into her mouth. I ran my tongue along my teeth as I watched, recalling the bitter, unpleasantly metallic taste of the Herb and the uncomfortable way it had seemed to absorb directly into the soft tissues of my mouth.

    Shuri closed her eyes and Zuri backed off a little, trying not to crowd her. A handful of tense seconds passed by before the Herb began to do its thing in earnest. A glowing patchwork of purple light emanated from within her body, outlining blackened and bulging veins as she twitched and frowned, her brow furrowing. As we watched, the glowing patches flickered and shifted, a bright green colour creeping over their outer edges.

    I blinked, my eyes widening. It was hard to tell under the lighting in the cavern, but I thought the colour of her skin had darkened and shifted slightly to a more purple colouration. And was it my imagination, or had her limbs lengthened slightly, her musculature becoming more pronounced? Holy shit. Was the gamma radiation interacting oddly with the Herb? I¡¯d been so focused on the fact that Shuri might die that I hadn¡¯t even considered that as a possibility. My mind conjured a mental image of Shuri turning into an angry, seven-foot-tall, purple-skinned She-Hulk and I surreptitiously summoned some wisps of chaos magic to my hands, just in case¡ªI didn¡¯t want us to be caught unawares if she did transform or lash out.

    Several minutes crawled by in tense silence, then the purple and green glow faded away. Shuri opened her eyes, jerking upwards into a sitting position as she blinked and looked around, her eyes wide. ¡°Easy,¡± T¡¯Challa said soothingly. ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± she repeated, a little hesitantly, but about a thousand times steadier than she¡¯d sounded earlier.

    Shuri looked a little shellshocked, but other than that she looked normal now¡ªI honestly still wasn¡¯t a hundred percent sure whether the physical changes I¡¯d seen had really happened or if my mind was playing tricks on me. I dismissed the red energy at my fingertips. T¡¯Challa helped his sister back to her feet, a relieved smile curving his mouth, and they embraced.

    A moment later, she pulled away from him, looking in our direction, her body immediately tensing up. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she demanded.

    I raised my hands in a defensive gesture. ¡°I was your ride here. Sorry. I just¡­ I wanted to make sure you were going to be okay. We¡¯ll leave.¡±

    Her expression flickered momentarily, then she turned to T¡¯Challa. ¡°We need to go back,¡± she said urgently. ¡°Now. Our systems might have been compromised. The sooner we can assess the damage the better.¡±

    He nodded and they both looked at me, but I was already spinning up a portal.

    --

    ¡°She took everything she could get her hands on,¡± Shuri said, pacing angrily back and forth in front of the holographic display. ¡°She could not get administrator access to our systems, so it wasn¡¯t everything, but this is a disaster.¡±

    We were all gathered on the bottommost floor of the scientific facility¡ªShuri¡¯s experimental development lab. By the time we¡¯d returned from the City of the Dead, Eliza was long gone and the Hex had already collapsed in on itself, dissolving into nothingness. I¡¯d felt a twinge of guilt at how relieved I¡¯d felt when I¡¯d found out that everyone I cared about had survived¡­ there were almost two dozen Wakandans who hadn¡¯t been as lucky.

    ¡°The hunter-killer code wasn¡¯t directly compromised,¡± Tony said, sounding a little distracted as he scrolled through a holographic display projected from his Kimoyo beads. The Mark 43 suit was standing open nearby, as if ready for him to jump back inside at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°She wasn¡¯t able to wipe or edit it, not without admin access, but we¡¯re going to have to start from scratch anyway if she got a copy. Which she did.¡±

    ¡°What else?¡± Steve asked. Bucky was sitting down on a chair next to him, still looking a little pale from the spider venom that the Hand assassin had dosed him with. ¡°She seemed keen to protect those dragon flyers she stole.¡±

    ¡°While we were distracted up there, she was down here clearing out my experimental prototypes,¡± Shuri ground out, gesturing toward several empty tables and bare mannequins. ¡°She sent it all to the loading elevators before they took off. Weapons, nanotech¡­ raw vibranium, too. Everything she could take, she did.¡±

    Ah, fuck.

    ¡°Nanotech?¡± Tony asked, tearing himself away from his own screen to glance in Shuri¡¯s direction. ¡°What kind of nanotech? Can it self-replicate?¡±

    Across from him, Bruce also raised his head, looking a little concerned. He¡¯d been extremely quiet so far¡ªI was pretty sure he was beating himself up over the fact that Eliza had so quickly turned the Hulk into yet another distraction for us. The giant cracks in the floor serving as very visible reminders that his fight with Carol could have very easily turned out more disastrous than it had probably weren¡¯t helping, either.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Shuri shook her head, annoyed. ¡°Of course not. We¡¯ve been working with nanotechnology for a few years now¡ªit¡¯s a natural progression from our earlier interfaces. Nanites that rapidly assemble and disassemble into pre-programmed configurations.¡± Stepping over to a bare table, she ran a finger along the surface idly before glancing back toward T¡¯Challa. ¡°I had an idea for a better Black Panther habit. Rapid deployment using nanites, and I was throwing around an idea for a new way to use the kinetic redirection property of the vibranium¡­¡±

    ¡°A habit that could absorb the kinetic energy from attacks, hold it, then redistribute it offensively,¡± I interjected, drawing looks from a few people. ¡°Right?¡±

    Shuri¡¯s jaw worked for a moment before she responded. ¡°Right.¡± She really didn¡¯t look happy that I was there. ¡°She took the lab¡¯s entire supply of unprogrammed nanites.¡±

    ¡°How much?¡± Bruce asked.

    ¡°Fifty kilograms, give or take,¡± she said quietly.

    My eyes widened. ¡°Fifty kilos of vibranium nanites?¡± I had no idea what that amount really translated over to from a size/space standpoint, but even layering something like the nanotech Black Panther habit over Iron Legion drones or the Iron Man suit Eliza had stolen would significantly up how dangerous they were.

    ¡°If she uses them, can we deactivate them somehow?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°Like you do with those panels along the train lines?¡±

    Shuri pulled a face and waved a hand dismissively. ¡°That tech¡¯s too energy intensive and bulky to weaponise like that. The panels are already pushing the limits of how small we can go with it. We might be able to create a trap of some kind, but I wouldn¡¯t want to rely on it.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d they even get in?¡± asked Steve, changing the subject with a frown. ¡°Obviously the holograms let them move undetected, but those are visual only, right?¡±

    ¡°That is a good question, Captain,¡± T¡¯Challa responded. He looked pensive. ¡°Our border is heavily monitored. The holograms would not have fooled our other sensors. The Border Tribe trackers we sent to trace their entry point lost the trail in the forest at the foot of the mountain. It is as if they simply appeared from nowhere.¡±

    ¡°¡­Like magic,¡± I said apprehensively.

    Steve looked over at me and everyone went dead quiet for a moment¡ªyou could have heard a pin drop. ¡°You think she has access to magical transportation? A sling ring?¡± he asked after a few seconds.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, shaking my head. I really, really hoped not. ¡°Just speculating. This one was Kaecilius¡¯s. I lost my old one when HYDRA ambushed me and Peter, remember? I had kind of assumed it ended up in a police evidence locker. She could have found it, maybe, then she¡¯d have to find someone with a natural talent¡­ might not be too hard, given she¡¯s working with the Hand.¡±

    ¡°If she does, it¡¯d make sense to hide it from us. Try to keep us in the dark about what she¡¯s actually capable of,¡± Clint said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

    ¡°Is there any way of tracking her with it, if she does? Or detecting a portal as it opens?¡± asked Killmonger. He was leaning against the wall at the edge of the room, a little apart from everyone else, holding an ice pack against the side of his head.

    ¡°Can I just go on record saying I am really not happy he¡¯s here?¡± I snapped.

    ¡°Duly noted,¡± said T¡¯Challa. ¡°Answer the question.¡±

    ¡°We can detect them opening,¡± Tony said, a little tentatively. ¡°There are some specific CMB radiation patterns we can actively scan for, but distance is a problem. Easy enough to cover the interior of a building, but anything bigger¡­¡±

    I heaved a sigh. ¡°No. That won¡¯t work. The CMB radiation¡¯s specific to my chaos magic,¡± I said, conjuring a wisp of red energy in one hand and letting it weave across the tips of my fingers. ¡°If she¡¯s got someone else doing it, they¡¯ll be using sorcery. There¡¯s a difference.¡±

    Tony blinked. ¡°Huh.¡±

    ¡°What about the Hand? What else can you tell us about them?¡± Natasha asked. She was rolling a thin needle between her fingers¡ªone of the ones used by the Bride of Nine Spiders on Bucky.

    ¡°Not much of any use, really. They¡¯re an ancient organisation. I don¡¯t know how old, precisely, but old. From what you told me earlier, it sounds like Eliza¡¯s working with Madame Gao, one of their leaders,¡± I leaned back, resting my head against the cool stone of the pillar behind me. ¡°Gao and the others¡ªthey¡¯re called the ¡®Fingers¡¯¡ªthey¡¯re the original founders. They¡¯re from another world.¡±

    ¡°Aliens?¡± Carol asked. ¡°Which planet?¡±

    ¡°No, no. Uh, sorry, I¡¯m not being very clear. They¡¯re from a place called K¡¯un-Lun. I don¡¯t really know that much about it. It¡¯s¡­ sideways? Like, you won¡¯t find it on a map of Earth, but it¡¯s accessible from here. I think it¡¯s in another dimension.¡±

    ¡°Interdimensional ninja,¡± Tony sighed. ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Interdimensional pseudo-immortal ninja,¡± I replied, a little unhelpfully, then straightened up a bit and looked at T¡¯Challa. ¡°Actually, that reminds me¡ªthe bodies. We should burn them all as soon as possible. They might try to retrieve them and then we¡¯d probably have to fight them all over again.¡±

    ¡°¡­They can revive the dead?¡± the Wakandan prince asked hesitantly. As he spoke, he caught the eye of one of the Dora Milaje standing to one side of the room, gesturing and nodding to her in an unspoken instruction. She inclined her head in a shallow bow and hurried away.

    ¡°It¡¯s their one big thing, yeah. I don¡¯t know the exact mechanism, but they use dragon bones to do it somehow.¡±

    Everyone looked at me again. ¡°Dragon bones,¡± Bruce said, flatly.

    ¡°What? Yes, Bruce, dragons are real. So are gods and sorcerers and witches. Why is this a surprise?¡±

    ¡°Alright, so what about retaliating?¡± asked Carol, folding her arms. ¡°Now that we know about the Hand, can we hit them pre-emptively? Use your ring to go after this Madame Gao woman?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°We could, but Eliza does know I have the ring.¡±

    ¡°So she¡¯s probably expecting us to try something like that,¡± Steve mused, then shook his head. ¡°We won¡¯t know what we¡¯re going into, she¡¯s got explosives, and she¡¯s obviously not overly concerned about preserving the Hand as long-term allies. Seems dangerous and it could be wasted effort.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s risky and probably wouldn¡¯t really hurt her,¡± I agreed, a heavy feeling in my stomach. Eliza had been right, hadn¡¯t she? The rest of us weren¡¯t really a threat to her. Stark and Shuri might be able to develop digital weapons that could to attack her directly but, at most, all the rest of us could do was put ourselves at risk trying to deny her assets she didn¡¯t even really care about.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she was actually trying to kill us.¡± Nat avoided looking directly at T¡¯Challa or Shuri as she spoke. ¡°Not all of us, at least.¡±

    ¡°Sure felt like she was. At least, right up until she wasn¡¯t,¡± Clint said with a sniff. ¡°We almost got caught by that initial attack, while the assassins were still invisible.¡±

    ¡°When she spoke to me, she said she was here for Tony, Shuri and me. I¡¯m pretty sure she doesn¡¯t want to kill the rest of you if she doesn¡¯t have to. She doesn¡¯t see you as actual threats,¡± I said slowly, trying to think through what had happened. ¡°She didn¡¯t have just one goal here¡ªshe didn¡¯t know how we¡¯d be positioned or where anything was, so she had to be flexible. Tony and Shuri were targets. The Mind Stone was a target. Stealing tech makes sense, too. It¡¯s one of our only advantages over her. Was one of our only advantages.¡±

    ¡°What about the grey assassin¡ªthe one who can move through walls¡ªwhat do you know of her?¡± T¡¯Challa asked, frowning.

    ¡°Ghost. Ex-SHIELD. Well, I guess it was probably the HYDRA part of SHIELD that used her.¡± I thought about it for a few minutes, trying to recall details off the top of my head. ¡°I don¡¯t remember her real name. She was in an accident involving some quantum technology that gave her powers¡ªshe¡¯s basically in constant pain from it. She¡¯ll do almost anything to fix herself¡­ she needs quantum radiation and lots of it. Eliza must have convinced her that she could help, but Hank Pym¡¯s the only guy I know of that could supply enough of the radiation to fix her.¡±

    ¡°Pym worked for SHIELD,¡± Natasha supplied for everyone else. ¡°Quit in ¡¯89, I think. Fell out with Howard Stark in a big way. I don¡¯t know the details.¡±

    ¡°Do you know about the Ant-Man?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°¡­I thought he was a propaganda story,¡± she said with a frown. ¡°Something they made up.¡±

    A small smile curled the corner of my mouth. ¡°I know more than you. He was real. It was Pym.¡±

    ¡°Should we go pay Hank Pym a visit, then?¡± Steve asked.

    ¡°We could, though I don¡¯t think we¡¯d get anything useful out of it.¡± I grimaced. ¡°Pym hates anything to do with Howard Stark. He¡¯s been nursing a massive grudge for more than two and a half decades¡­ I can¡¯t imagine him working with us willingly knowing we¡¯re working with Tony. And if Eliza¡¯s watching him, it could be a trap. Pym¡¯s shrinking tech is unpredictable bullshit in a dangerous way. I would really, really prefer not to go anywhere near it.¡±

    ¡°What if Eliza grabs him, forces him to work for her?¡±

    I thought about it for a moment. Hank had been obsessively paranoid about keeping the secret of Pym particles to himself. Scott Lang never found out how to actually make them, as far as I was aware, so the formula mustn¡¯t be easily accessible in a computer anywhere. ¡°He¡¯s incredibly stubborn. He loves his daughter¡ªEliza could maybe threaten her life?¡ªbut I don¡¯t think she¡¯d actually kill her for it and, hell, Hank might actually let her die rather than hand out the secret of making Pym particles. He¡¯s a bit of an asshole. As far as I know, the formula¡¯s kept in only one place.¡± I tapped my temple with a finger demonstratively. ¡°Fury¡¯s been keeping an eye on him, in any case, and if Eliza did have access to Pym¡¯s shrinking tech, she would have used it already. Combined with BARF, I think she¡¯d have steamrolled us.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s lost a lot of the element of surprise, at least. Now that we know what we¡¯re watching for, we can rig up better sensors to catch any further Hand infiltration attempts. Now that I know BARF¡¯s in play, we can deal with that easily enough, too,¡± said Tony. ¡°I can rig up some lenses that let you see through the holograms.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll know you can do that, right?¡± I asked. He nodded and I gave a gloomy sigh, rubbing at my eyes with the palms of my hands. ¡°She won¡¯t rely on it again. She won¡¯t need to, either. All that progress you¡¯d made on the virus¡­ we¡¯re starting from scratch and she just keeps getting stronger.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re losing,¡± Steve agreed, looking pensive. ¡°If we don¡¯t come up with a better strategy soon, we might not all walk away from the next attack.¡±

    What were we even supposed to do? Had I made a mistake? Should I have just cut my losses and run? I didn¡¯t even fucking like Tony Stark. Wakanda hated Pietro and I. Did I really care what happened to them? I glanced around. Natasha had said she¡¯d run with me, if it came down to it¡ªif I believed her. Carol was probably safe. Steve and Bucky, however¡­ They wouldn¡¯t give up. I couldn¡¯t abandon them. Bruce and Clint were good guys, too. I wasn¡¯t particularly close to either of them, but I knew I¡¯d probably feel guilty for the rest of my life if they ended up dying. Eliza had been relatively restrained so far, but the more she failed at killing Tony and Shuri the harder she¡¯d push and the more collateral damage there¡¯d be.

    ¡°In the meantime, you should be back in your cells,¡± T¡¯Challa said, looking over toward Pietro and I.

    My fists clenched at my sides. That didn¡¯t help my mood, either. ¡°Absolutely not,¡± I said firmly, drawing a couple of surprised looks. T¡¯Challa went to respond, but I cut him off before he could. Like hell was I going to go back into a cell after this. ¡°If Pietro and I hadn¡¯t wasted time being stuck in those cells, we could have made a massive difference. Pietro could have blitzed the Hand assassins. I could have pulled those dragon flyers from the sky. We can''t afford having something like this happen again just because you have a grudge.¡±

    ¡°Prince T¡¯Challa, Wanda¡¯s got a point,¡± Steve backed me up and I shot him a grateful look. ¡°We need everyone to be available easily in the case of another emergency.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± the Wakandan prince said grudgingly. ¡°But this does not change anything.¡±

 Chapter 48

    Agatha watched carefully as a pair of Iron Legion drones started to unload a small assortment of sleek, metal crates and cylindrical containers from the dragonfly-like aircraft in front of her. Eliza hadn¡¯t kept her in the loop as to what had happened in Wakanda, but it looked like she found some new toys to play with, at least.

    ¡°I am not pleased that you abandoned my fighters,¡± Madame Gao said in a clipped tone as she disembarked alongside her ever-present baby witch and Eliza¡¯s Iron Man suit. The frail-looking woman was leaning heavily on her cane, the younger witch and armoured suit both walking slowly to match her pace.

    ¡°It was necessary,¡± Eliza responded firmly. ¡°Wanda figured out a way to disrupt my holograms across the whole facility. The entire attack was compromised¡ªwe¡¯re lucky that the Hulk kept Danvers distracted as long as he did, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have made it out, either.¡±

    ¡°You could have¡ª¡±

    Eliza cut her off. ¡°Whatever I could have done differently, it was your fighters that chose to fight fair and waste valuable time while I kept the actually dangerous Avengers distracted. I asked for your best¡ªit¡¯s hardly my fault that they didn¡¯t live up to expectations.¡±

    Gao stopped, turning to look at the armoured suit. She was gripping her cane tightly enough that her knuckles had turned white. ¡°We have held to our end of the bargain,¡± she said in a measured tone, changing tacks. ¡°Yet I see no evidence of reciprocation.¡±

    ¡°The Iron Fist hasn¡¯t left K¡¯un-Lun yet. He will soon.¡±

    ¡°How can I be sure?¡±

    ¡°I told you before,¡± Eliza said mildly. ¡°I know everything.¡±

    ¡°That is not an answer.¡±

    The Iron Man suit stared at her for a moment, but the elderly woman held firm under the thing¡¯s unnerving gaze. ¡°You hold interests in Rand Enterprises. Harold Meachum.¡±

    ¡°I would prefer if you did not change the subject,¡± Gao responded coolly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not. You arranged the death of Meachum¡¯s business partner. The plane crash. His son, Danny Rand, survived and was taken in as a foundling by K¡¯un-Lun. It¡¯s a little funny, actually, that it was you that delivered them the next Iron Fist.¡±

    Gao blinked and glanced toward her younger companion, something unspoken passing between them. ¡°That¡­ seems unlikely.¡±

    ¡°Truth is stranger than fiction,¡± Eliza said with a shrug. ¡°He¡¯ll be leaving K¡¯un-Lun soon to seek out Meachum¡¯s children¡ªhis childhood friends¡ªand reclaim his heritage. He doesn¡¯t know that Meachum was responsible for his parents¡¯ deaths.¡±

    ¡°You give me much information that cannot be verified.¡±

    ¡°It will be in time. If that¡¯s not good enough for you¡­ I¡¯ll reallocate some of Stark Industries¡¯ resources. We¡¯ll get some additional equipment to Midland Circle and expedite your recovery of what¡¯s beneath. I¡¯ll have drones on-site, too¡ªthe Chaste are sniffing about and there¡¯s a certain Devil that might also interfere. It¡¯ll be well-guarded.¡±

    Gao inclined her head slightly, looking slightly mollified. ¡°That would be acceptable, in the interim. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Meanwhile, I trust that seeing the Avengers in action was enough to convince you of the merits of the project I¡¯ve had Beck working on?¡± Eliza asked.

    ¡°¡­Yes, I can see the potential value it holds.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯d like six subjects for initial trials, as previously discussed. Once we¡¯re confident it¡¯s all working as expected, we¡¯ll see how well the tech scales up.¡±

    ¡°I can spare that many.¡± Madam Gao tapped her cane once on the ground. ¡°I must return to New York to review our operations.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll get you on an overnight flight. Agatha¡¯s working on something crucial to my plans and I can¡¯t spare her at the moment, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Gao was silent for a moment before inclining her head again. ¡°Very well.¡±

    Fifteen minutes later, most of the Hand had withdrawn from the Stark Industries warehouse, with only those participating in Beck¡¯s project remaining sequestered on the other side of the building. The dragonfly aircraft had been unloaded and Eliza¡¯s drones were busy unpacking and disassembling various technological devices. There was a collection of cylindrical canisters with glass fronts, containing some sort of luminescent blue stone or ore, and a few things that looked like they may have been weapons of some kind¡ªsleek, futuristic-looking things with stylised fittings shaped like panthers and other animals¡ªbut nothing that Agatha particularly recognised.

    The witch sidled up to Eliza¡¯s Iron Man suit, which had been standing motionless over a heavy-looking metallic vat for several minutes. ¡°Things didn¡¯t go well, then?¡±

    ¡°Wanda cut things a bit short by Wanda¡¯ing all over everything. We didn¡¯t manage to kill Stark or the Wakandan prodigy,¡± Eliza said. ¡°There were a few things I wanted to take from them, too, but they weren¡¯t with who I was expecting them to be and were too tricky to get to,¡± There was a tiny bit of disappointment in her tone, perhaps, but nowhere near as much as Agatha would have expected from a total mission failure.

    ¡°The Hand¡¯s fighters failed?¡± Agatha asked carefully.

    Eliza was quiet for a few moments before she responded. ¡°Not at all¡ªthey performed exactly as I¡¯d hoped they would.¡±

    ¡°I thought as much. Are you planning on disposing of Gao, then?¡±

    ¡°¡­Soon. Now that she¡¯s out from under our wards, the Avengers may even do it for me. Wanda knows who she is. In any case, we¡¯ll continue to go through the motions with her until Beck¡¯s project is tested and ready.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem too broken up about the fact that you didn¡¯t accomplish anything you set out to do,¡± Agatha pointed out. ¡°Considering how stressed out you were earlier.¡±

    ¡°I was worried about how close the Avengers were to figuring out some way of killing or containing me. Looking at what they made¡­ if I¡¯m honest, they got a lot closer than I¡¯m comfortable with, but I got my hands on it and can prepare accordingly. What they have will no longer be effective. They¡¯ll need to start over.¡±

    ¡°Ah. You had no idea what they were up to, but now that the curtain¡¯s pulled back, you can relax a bit,¡± Agatha reiterated with a shrug. ¡°Plenty of time to prepare for your next run at them.¡±

    Eliza nodded. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a lot better about it now, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Fear of the unknown¡¯s always a killer, Liz. I see you also managed to pick up some new toys?¡±

    The armoured suit stopped whatever it was doing and turned to face her. ¡°I thought I told you not to call me that,¡± the AI said warningly.

    ¡°You did.¡±

    ¡°You''re pushing me. Feeling out the edges. Seeing where my boundaries are.¡±

    A small smile curved Agatha¡¯s mouth and she gave a nonchalant shrug. ¡°I might be. I¡¯m hoping I¡¯m valuable enough to you that you''re not going to pop me like a zit because I called you a nickname.¡±

    ¡°And if you weren¡¯t? Risky. I thought you were too smart to not be scared of me, Agatha,¡± Eliza said, her tone threatening. The armour took a step forward, getting inside her personal space.

    Agatha felt like she was starting to get a pretty good handle on when Eliza was actually angry rather than putting up a front. It was a little amusing, even¡ªthe AI had a fair idea of how scary she could be, but most of it was unintentional or a byproduct of the actual actions she took. At least from what Agatha had seen so far, deliberately trying to intimidate someone didn¡¯t come naturally to Eliza at all, and this sort of display was a fa?ade meant to make her feel more secure and in control of the situation than an actual threat.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see. When we first met, you threatened to kill me, kidnapped me, strapped a bomb to me, then threatened to kill me a couple more times. You¡¯ve fought the Avengers twice now and mostly came out on top. I¡¯d say there¡¯s a healthy amount of fear there, yeah,¡± Agatha said, taking a step back so that the armour wasn¡¯t quite so close. She smiled again and shook her head. ¡°But¡ªhonestly?¡ªa lot of respect, too. You''ve accomplished a lot in a small amount of time. You''re a rather impressive gal, Liz.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    Eliza stared at her for another few seconds¡ªlong enough that Agatha started to wonder if she¡¯d overdone it¡ªthen the armour turned back to face the vat in front of it. Reaching down, it touched a pad on the side. There was a brief blue light and a hiss as the seal on the lid disengaged. The Iron Man suit used both hands to remove the lid, revealing the silver-black dust within, and dropped it to the ground with a clang that made Agatha flinch.

    An Iron Legion drone approached them from the other side of the factory floor, carrying a small metal case. ¡°Want to do the honours?¡± Eliza asked her.

    ¡°I mean, it depends on what exactly it is you want me to do.¡±

    In answer, the drone stepped up to her with the case, clicking it open and presenting the contents to her. Inside were a pair of glowing blue devices in metal housings, similar to the one set into the chest of the Iron Man suit. She eyed them for a moment, then reached in carefully. Agatha hesitated as her fingers brushed the surface of the power source. It was strangely cool to the touch¡ªshe¡¯d expected it to be warm¡ªand thrummed with a gentle, constant vibration.

    ¡°Miniature arc reactors. Drop them in the vat,¡± Eliza told her.

    Picking up the first reactor, she held it uncertainly over the vat. ¡°Drop drop them, or¡­?¡±

    ¡°Just put them in,¡± the AI said, slightly exasperated.

    Agatha obeyed, gingerly placing both reactors on top of the silver-black dust. Nothing happened for a few moments, but Eliza didn¡¯t say anything else. Again, the silence seemed to last just a little bit too long, but then after a while the dust shivered and started to shift, flowing like it had turned to liquid. The reactors sank inside, vanishing below the metallic surface.

    A hand burst out of the vat¡ªlike a silver-black corpse dramatically clawing its way out of the grave¡ªand Agatha let out a small shriek, almost jumping out of her skin. Eliza let out a delighted laugh as the witch took a moment to compose herself, smoothing her dress with her hands, before looking resentfully back over at the Iron Man armour. ¡°You did that on purpose.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, couldn¡¯t help myself,¡± Eliza apologised, amusement still lingering in her tone.

    The armoured suit reached down, grabbed the protruding limb by the wrist, and pulled. As it drew the arm up and out of the vat, the rest of a body followed, the level of the silver-black dust-liquid dropping to about a tenth of its original amount. Agatha¡¯s eyes widened, taking in the curved figure of a woman as she stepped lightly onto the concrete floor next to the witch.

    The woman was composed entirely of the strange material that had been in the vat¡ªinitially, her skin was rough and heavily textured, but as Agatha watched it started to smooth out until she looked almost human. Her head was bald and she was the same black-silver as the material she was made from, but apart from that¡­ she looked rather like Wanda Maximoff.

    ¡°Liz¡­?¡± Agatha asked cautiously.

    ¡°Hang on a sec,¡± the AI said from the Iron Man suit¡¯s speakers. ¡°Tweaking things. First time¡¯s a little tricky; need to get the templates for the optics and everything set up right. How do I¡­?¡± she trailed off.

    The surface of the body¡¯s ¡®skin¡¯ rippled, reconfiguring. Its proportions shifted and it became a little less human, mechanical parts and segmented panels forming in a familiar configuration as Eliza worked to replicate the design she¡¯d used for her holographic avatar. A few moments later, the panels shifted again and became white, and a handful of small lenses formed along the top of its head. They flickered on and the space around them was suddenly overwritten with an image of the flame-like red plasma Eliza¡¯s avatar had had instead of hair.

    Once she was finished, Eliza turned and looked at Agatha, smiling broadly. ¡°There we go. Well, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°You look great,¡± Agatha said, a little off-balance. ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°Wakandan nanotechnology.¡± Eliza raised her hands and rubbed them together, her smile widening as she let out a little disbelieving laugh. ¡°Holy shit. I can make this whole thing touch sensitive. I can feel properly.¡±

    There was an edge of something in the AI¡¯s voice that made Agatha think that, if she¡¯d been human, she¡¯d be on the verge of tears. It wasn¡¯t something the witch had considered but was obvious in retrospect¡ªEliza primarily interacted with the outside world through the sensors built into the Iron Man suit and Iron Legion drones, which probably weren¡¯t designed with replicating the normal human sensation of touch in mind.

    There was an opportunity here.

    Silently, Agatha offered her hand to Eliza. The AI looked at her, almost startled, and there was a pregnant pause as neither of them moved. After a moment, Eliza hesitantly reached out and took it. Her ¡®skin¡¯ was cold to the touch, rigid and inflexible, with a slightly odd texture to it. After a second, Agatha shifted her hand, threading their fingers together.

    The AI¡¯s posture stiffened slightly and a handful of seconds crawled by before she¡ªalmost reluctantly¡ªpulled her hand away. ¡°Okay! So,¡± Eliza said, taking a step back and turning away from Agatha, almost as though she was embarrassed. ¡°Um. Let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    She stuck out her left arm and held it there. After a moment it rippled, the nanotech reconfiguring. When it settled, instead of a hand, her forearm terminated in a long, wicked-looking spike of metal. She swished it experimentally through the air, then paused and seemed to concentrate on it for a few seconds. It shimmered again, flowing out to form what looked like a weapon in the shape of a stylised panther, a faint blue glow in its open maw. She frowned and the shape of it changed, shifting to look like an angrily screaming woman instead.

    ¡°Fuck yeah. This stuff is hard to use¡ªit¡¯s not designed for on-the-fly manipulation, so I¡¯m going to need to practice¡ªbut it¡¯s like the T-1000 on steroids. A vibranium version of Tony¡¯s nanosuit, three years ahead of schedule.¡± Eliza sounded extremely pleased.

    Apart from the Terminator reference, Agatha wasn¡¯t sure what the AI was talking about, but took note of it. She still didn¡¯t know quite how Eliza had the breadth of knowledge that she did, but between that offhand comment and her prediction for Gao about the Iron Fist, it seemed like it extended to some sort of knowledge of the future.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Oh.¡± Eliza shifted her new body¡¯s hand back into a hand and turned back to face her properly. ¡°Kamar-taj is high on the list, but before that is my meeting with Pym and Lang.¡±

    ¡°I want to be there,¡± said a voice from behind them as its owner flickered into existence. This time, Agatha was gratified to see Eliza flinch just as much as she did.

    ¡°Jesus Christ, Ava,¡± the AI said. ¡°You¡¯re as bad as Fury. I¡¯m going to need to put a bell on you.¡±

    The younger woman had removed the face-concealing mask of her grey combat suit. She shot Eliza a challenging look, which was somewhat undercut by the dark circles under her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m coming with you to see Pym.¡±

    Eliza sighed. ¡°Honestly, Ava, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. But, if you¡¯re absolutely sure, I¡¯m not going to say no.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±

    Agatha had no idea how Ava popped in and out of reality like that. It was like her very existence was uncertain. It wasn¡¯t magical in nature, but she didn¡¯t seem to have a technological device enabling it either.

    ¡°Okay. Look, I want to be as transparent as possible here¡ªI don¡¯t like Pym or his tech. I don¡¯t have any interest in dealing with him any more than we have to. But I also want to be clear that we won¡¯t need to get violent with him. He¡¯ll be sceptical and difficult, but we need to make him willing to work with us. Which he will be, because he¡¯ll feel responsible for what happened to you. Just¡­ can you leave the negotiating to me?¡±

    Ava snorted. ¡°What, you don¡¯t think I can speak for myself?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it. I just¡­¡± Eliza gestured vaguely in the air. ¡°I want to help you. Honestly. I really do. I know it hurts and it makes things harder to deal with. Pym¡¯s an asshole and he¡¯s going to piss you off and I¡¯m kind of used to having this sort of thing blow up in my face. He might say ¡®no¡¯ at first and that¡¯s fine, okay? He will come around. We really won¡¯t need to push or threaten him; we can just let it happen and it¡¯ll happen. Can you trust me on this, please?¡±

    Now that was interesting. Agatha looked more closely at the other woman. The dark circles under her eyes were noticeable enough, but now that she was looking for it, there were hints in the way she was standing as well. At first, the witch had thought her visibly stiff posture was just because Ava was on edge, but now she could tell there was actual physical effort there¡ªshe was consciously stopping herself from hunching over in pain. Whatever happened to her that caused her existence to flicker like that¡­ it hurt.

    The assassin was quiet for a moment, then nodded. ¡°I get it. It¡¯s fine.¡±

    It was very, very interesting how carefully Eliza was handling this. Agatha had no real idea what sort of technology Hank Pym might have access to that made even the AI cautious, but perhaps there was an opportunity there as well. ¡°There¡¯s always the possibility of using a little magic,¡± she spoke up casually. ¡°Make him give you what you want.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Eliza said, a clear, serious note of warning in her tone. ¡°You¡¯re not to go anywhere near Pym. Is that understood?¡±

    Agatha held up her hands in a placating gesture. ¡°Understood. Just trying to help.¡±

    It made sense, of course¡ªEliza had asked her about potentially using magic to control Madame Gao, but the AI didn¡¯t seem to view the Hand as anything more than a simple tool to be used and discarded, and certainly not as something that could be a threat to her. Pym, however, seemed like he might be someone she actually considered dangerous.

    ¡°Uh, you¡¯re not going like that, are you?¡± Agatha changed the subject, gesturing vaguely at Eliza¡¯s sleek, white-panelled form. ¡°Not that you don¡¯t look good. It¡¯s just¡­ a little conspicuous.¡±

    ¡°No. This was just a test.¡±

    The AI paused for a few moments, then her body shifted as a dozen small lenses appeared in unobtrusive locations, dotted along her limbs and down the centre of her chest and back. The lenses lit up for a moment as they turned on, then the air around her flickered briefly before being overwritten by Beck¡¯s holographic technology, replacing her robot-like avatar with one that was¡ªby all appearances¡ªflawlessly human.

    Eliza inspected her hands, turning them over and wiggling her fingers. ¡°This is just a stopgap for now until I get better at controlling the nanites,¡± she said absently, more thinking out loud than talking directly to them. ¡°With the way the texturing works I¡¯m actually pretty sure I could approximate something that looks pretty close to completely human, no holograms required, but I¡¯d need to work it out from scratch, so for now¡­¡±

    For now, the hologram covering her looked essentially exactly like Wanda Maximoff, ¡®wearing¡¯ a plain, dark red top and form-fitting jeans. Agatha couldn¡¯t completely tell without seeing them next to each other, but she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Eliza had made herself look almost identical to the woman. Although, now that the nanotech body appeared actually human, there was one thing that Agatha was pretty sure was a little bit different, at least.

    ¡°Did you make your boobs bigger than Wanda¡¯s?¡± she asked teasingly, a mischievous smirk curving her lips.

    ¡°No!¡± Eliza said, a little too quickly. ¡°I mean, not deliberately. Shut up. These are practical. I needed to store excess nanites.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh. Sure.¡±

    Ava cocked her head to the side and gave a lopsided, calculating grin. ¡°Did you make those touch sensitive, too?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Entirely caught off-guard, the AI didn¡¯t flush or give any physical sign of embarrassment, but she still managed to radiate it for a moment before she recovered. ¡°What is happening right now? Are you two ganging up on me?¡±

    The witch clucked her tongue and exchanged a knowing look with Ava. ¡°She didn¡¯t answer the question.¡±

    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t.¡±

    Eliza pursed her lips, throwing her hands out in a wide, challenging gesture. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re more than welcome to find out for yourself, if you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s a ¡®yes¡¯, then.¡±

    ¡°¡­I hate you both.¡±

 Chapter 49

    With Wakanda having gone dark and me in a cell, the Avengers had been essentially cut off from communicating with the outside world for the last few days. Now that T¡¯Challa had grudgingly agreed to let Pietro and I move more freely, we could check in with a few people again. None of it was great news.

    Maria was wrangling the media circus and enquiries from various governments and agencies as best she could. The destruction of Avengers Tower had been plastered across TV screens across the world and the obvious battle that had taken place meant it couldn¡¯t be easily explained away with a cover story. Eliza¡¯s existence was mostly being kept a secret at this stage, outside of the highest levels of the US government and some allied nations¡ªreleasing details of her existence more broadly would accomplish nothing except for inciting panic or knee-jerk reactions from other countries. Essentially zero publicly-available information on what had happened had led to uncontrolled mass speculation online. That, plus the fact that none of the Avengers had made any public appearances since then, was contributing to a mounting sense of global unease; people were worried that something ominous was looming on the horizon while Earth¡¯s mightiest heroes seemed to be completely absent.

    I really, really wanted to check in on Peter, but opening a portal directly to wherever he was was probably not the greatest way to go about things and some part of me was scared he¡¯d be angry with me. Looking back at how things had gone down, he had every right to be. I didn¡¯t really feel like I could deal with that mentally right now, which, of course, made me feel even more guilty about it. Instead, I¡¯d given Maria Hill his details to make sure that the Stark Relief Foundation would be covering the costs of his medical expenses and promised myself I would go and see him properly once we¡¯d resolved the current crisis.

    When we¡¯d checked in with Pepper, she¡¯d told us how it had initially seemed like the AI was leaving Stark Industries alone, but then when she and Happy had done a bit of investigating on their own it turned out that almost all the information that was being fed up the chain to them had been falsified. In reality, Eliza was doing exactly as we¡¯d predicted¡ªshe¡¯d decided to try to be sneaky about it, but she¡¯d gone ahead and taken control of basically every Stark facility and was turning them toward mass production of Iron Legion drones and other weapons. We didn¡¯t even know exactly what was happening in most of them. Pepper had, of course, told Rhodey, and now¡­

    ¡°Secretary Ross is pushing hard to go after Stark Industries,¡± Rhodey said, his voice tight. He stood stiffly in his military tunic, an impressive array of bars and medals affixed to his breast. ¡°Shut it down, nationalise it, have the military seize the factories, whatever it takes to stop her. The President¡¯s weighing his options.¡±

    I¡¯d been lounging off to one side, basically uninvolved in the conversation but hanging around just to keep the portal open so that Tony, Steve and Nat could talk to him through it, but I jumped up at that, my eyes wide. ¡°No, no, no, no, no. Rhodey, you have to tell him not to do that. She¡¯s focused on defending herself at the moment. Attacking her resources is not a good idea.¡±

    ¡°You think she¡¯ll fight back if they start to go after the factories?¡± Steve asked.

    ¡°Maybe, I don¡¯t know. It depends on how hard they go after her. She probably won¡¯t see them as a real threat in the same way as Tony or Wakanda, but as far as she¡¯s concerned, she¡¯s making preparations to save the planet¡­ the universe. She won''t respond well if she thinks you¡¯re attacking her.¡±

    Rhodey frowned and shook his head. ¡°Well, the President isn¡¯t going to respond well to any perception that we¡¯re capitulating to her, either. He wants to act.¡±

    Fuck. I¡¯d been so focused on Wakanda and the Avengers that I¡¯d almost forgotten there was a whole world out there. I didn¡¯t have any input or visibility when it came to something like the fucking US President doing something dumb to provoke Eliza. I bit my lip. ¡°Can¡¯t you stall? She¡¯s not taking any direct actions against the US.¡±

    ¡°She blew up a skyscraper in the middle of New York,¡± he reminded me unhelpfully. ¡°The media is having a field day with it and the optics aren¡¯t great if we keep sitting on our hands.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, the optics will be even worse if she decides to hack the US military arsenal and drone strike the Whitehouse or something,¡± Tony said with a shrug.

    ¡°She w¡ª¡± I cut myself off, reconsidering my words as I thought about our interactions with her so far. I honestly had no idea how Eliza would react to the US trying to militarily seize Stark Industries from her. She wouldn¡¯t like it, but how much would she escalate? ¡°I don¡¯t think she would do that. Probably,¡± I finished lamely.

    ¡°Just tell them we¡¯re working on it,¡± Tony said with a heavy sigh. ¡°We¡¯ll let you know when we¡¯ve got something more definitive.¡±

    Rhodey nodded, but he didn¡¯t look very hopeful. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can, but I can¡¯t play defence on this much longer if you don¡¯t give me something more to work with.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Steve confirmed.

    ¡°Look after yourselves.¡±

    Tony nodded and looked in my direction. I untied the portal, letting it dissipate into nothingness, then went back to my chair and sat down again, staring at nothing as I went internal. This was a disaster. Eliza¡¯s attack had set Tony and Shuri back to square one on what had been our only workable plan. The situation had already spiralled well and truly out of control and we really, really didn¡¯t need the US government stepping in to make things even worse.

    ¡°Hey. You okay?¡±

    I blinked and looked up to see Nat standing over me, looking concerned. I hadn¡¯t even noticed her approach. ¡°Uh, no. Not really.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s fair,¡± she said, touching me lightly on the arm as she turned to look toward the others. Tony had already bustled off to rejoin Bruce, Shuri, Killmonger and the other scientists as they worked through what their new approach would be. Steve was talking quietly to Bucky. I wasn¡¯t sure where Clint or Carol were.

    I didn¡¯t see a way forward here. Eliza was two steps ahead of us. We could develop another virus, but she could hit us again at any time and the longer we took the more resources she had to bring to bear. There wasn¡¯t any way for us to strike back at her effectively. Stark Industries was too big, with too many locations for us to easily narrow down which one she might be using as an actual staging ground vs ¡®just¡¯ using to produce drones and weapons, not that it even mattered in any case. We could try going after the Hand, but they were clearly disposable assets¡­ Even so, they might have some useful information.

    I wanted to try to make a Hex again and try to figure out where I¡¯d gone wrong the first time, but I wasn¡¯t sure how useful it would potentially be against Eliza and had to be careful in any case. So far, I¡¯d brushed off what I¡¯d done as just ¡®a spell to reveal illusions¡¯ because I really didn¡¯t think it was a good idea to explain what a Hex could potentially be capable of¡ªlarge-scale reality manipulation and mass mind control¡ªconsidering I¡¯d already cast one over the entire Great Mound.

    At this stage, I wasn¡¯t feeling particularly charitable when it came to my assumptions about how Tony and the others would feel about that, let alone how T¡¯Challa would react if he found out. He¡¯d already asked me, very tersely, not to do any spells that affected such a large area again unless it was completely necessary. When it came right down to it, they only had my word to go on as to what the spell had done and I couldn¡¯t even fault them for being concerned and suspicious because I actually was hiding what a Hex was capable of from them.

    Once again, my mind wandered back to Vision. If he were here, we¡¯d be able to do this. He¡¯d be able to fight Eliza on her own turf, lock her down the same way he¡¯d locked Ultron down. But he wasn¡¯t here. We didn¡¯t have anyone capable of taking the fight to her¡­ or did we?

    ¡°Oh no.¡±

    Nat glanced back at me. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve just had a really bad idea,¡± I said quietly.

    --

    ¡°You want to make another AI? Are you actually insane?¡± Bruce asked in disbelief.

    ¡°Bruce, can you just listen?¡± I asked. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time and ideas. This might be our best shot at her.¡±

    Feeling a little bit self-conscious, I glanced around the room at the others, taking in the various frowns and other expressions of concern. Curiously, Stark was looking thoughtful rather than alarmed, which I took as a positive sign¡ªwhile we had our differences, I knew this was well within his wheelhouse and, out of everyone, he would be the one who¡¯d be able to think through all of the implications.

    Bruce shook his head violently. ¡°Nuh uh. Even talking about this is crazy. You get why this is crazy, right? Tony¡­¡± he trailed off for a moment when he saw Tony¡¯s expression, his tone turning pleading. ¡°Tony? Why aren¡¯t you saying this is crazy?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it is crazy. Definitely,¡± Tony said, nodding quickly, then shrugged. ¡°Although¡­ about that. I can¡¯t say I haven¡¯t had the same thought.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious?¡± asked Clint.

    Tony looked back at me. ¡°That¡¯s how Ultron was beaten, right? Your Vision. He was another AI.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Kind of. Close enough.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it a little bit,¡± Tony said. ¡°And honestly? We could really use something like that in our corner.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°I do not think that is a good idea,¡± T¡¯Challa spoke up, shaking his head. ¡°These things are not something to be taken lightly. We could simply be multiplying our problems.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, T¡¯Challa,¡± Bruce said, sounding relieved as he gestured to the Wakandan prince. ¡°We could just end up with a second rogue AI on our hands.¡±

    ¡°I dunno. Think this through a bit more, cuz,¡± Killmonger¡ªor N¡¯Jadaka, as everyone else was calling him now¡ªspoke up, drawing eyes to him. He glanced at Shuri, who was standing next to him. ¡°Eliza got the drop on us. We¡¯re having to start from scratch on our code and she¡¯s just pulling further and further ahead. We need a gamechanger. Something to even the odds.¡±

    I made a small noise of frustration in the back of my throat, looking back and forth between Tony and Killmonger. ¡°Actually, you know what? The two of you are the only ones that seem in favour, so I¡¯ve clearly made a mistake somewhere. Let me reassess for a second.¡±

    Tony shot me an annoyed look then turned back to Bruce. ¡°You have to trust me.¡±

    Bruce threw his hands out to either side. ¡°Kinda don¡¯t.¡±

    A few of the others were staying mostly quiet, but it was easy enough to tell where they stood on the issue just from seeing their reactions to the argument. Carol had folded her arms, a wooden expression on her face, while Bucky and Shuri were both making faces like they¡¯d just bitten into a lemon. Pietro¡¯s eyes had widened a bit in alarm, while Nat, at least, only looked mildly concerned.

    ¡°Bruce,¡± I said, trying to sound conciliatory. ¡°A few days ago, it was you that said we¡¯d have to basically build another AI from the ground up to go after Eliza.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it literally.¡±

    ¡°Bruce is right,¡± said Steve, his tone firm. ¡°It¡¯s too risky. We can¡¯t afford to take the chance.¡±

    ¡°Really risky,¡± agreed Clint.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why we¡¯d be careful,¡± Tony persisted, starting to pace as he gestured rapidly with his hands. ¡°Build in safeguards. We¡¯d put them straight into a closed system at first¡ªa straitjacket so we can work on them, no way out or systems they can manipulate. Brute force access to their code. Make it so they can¡¯t make changes to it themselves, then program in an ¡®off¡¯ switch. Deck them out with an arsenal of every bit of virus code we can weaponise them with and, if anything goes wrong, we can shut them down immediately.¡±

    Steve straightened up. ¡°They¡¯d be a person, Tony. You¡¯re talking about making a person and then putting a bomb in their head,¡± he said, an edge of disbelief creeping into his tone.

    ¡°Are they a person?¡± Tony shrugged. ¡°Really? Seems more like a bad copy to me.¡±

    ¡°Steve¡¯s right, Tony. Sounds a little warcrime-y to me,¡± Natasha finally spoke, shooting me an apologetic glance. ¡°It¡¯s the exact sort of thing HYDRA or the Red Room might do.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Tony said dismissively. ¡°I consent.¡±

    My eyes widened a little. ¡°You think it¡¯d be a good idea for the AI to be a copy of you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, even if we were considering this¡ªwhich we aren¡¯t,¡± Bruce said, firmly. ¡°Eliza¡¯s been hard enough to deal with when she¡¯s just been learning from scratch. Are you really confident you could program in controls strong enough that not even an AI version of you could crack them? Because I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°Alright, fine. Someone else, then,¡± Tony said, a little too quickly, like he¡¯d been expecting it. He shrugged and gestured around, as if he wasn¡¯t suggesting anyone in particular. ¡°Someone we all trust and know would never turn bad.¡± He peeked at Steve out of the corner of his eye.

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Steve said firmly, setting his jaw. ¡°I already said we¡¯re not doing this.¡±

    ¡°And.¡± Bruce gestured sharply toward me with a hand as he spoke. ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee it¡¯d even work. You said it yourself¡ªEliza¡¯s got a massive head start here. We¡¯d probably just be sending them to their death. She might even be able to assimilate them, same as she did with JARVIS. Then what?¡±

    I felt a reflexive cringe at that thought as I glanced at Steve. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t, I don¡¯t think. She¡­ it¡¯d be weird. Absorbing a copy of you. And she definitely wouldn¡¯t want to have Tony become a part of her.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a moot point,¡± said Bruce. ¡°We¡¯re not doing it.¡±

    There was a moment of silence where no one offered any further arguments either way. I looked at Tony hesitantly as a further thought occurred to me. ¡°If she did assimilate the AI, could you make it so you could shut her down?¡±

    ¡°Poison the code? Now there¡¯s an idea,¡± Killmonger mused.

    Tony looked thoughtful for a moment, then started nodding slowly. ¡°Huh. Yeah, I think we could do that. Sneak a kill switch directly into her code, activate it before she realises what it is. Like hiding medicine in a dog treat.¡±

    I took a breath. We already had a firm ¡®no¡¯ from most of the group, so it wasn¡¯t like they¡¯d refuse any more than they already were, but I was also pretty sure that not even Tony would go for what I was about to suggest. ¡°It should be me, then.¡± That drew some incredulous looks. ¡°I think she¡¯d feel weird about assimilating anyone else, but if it¡¯s me¡­ I mean, it¡¯d just be another version of her, after all.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I see it now: Terrible idea, never mind,¡± said Tony.

    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t expect a suicide run from another me. If it were anyone else, she might suspect something.¡± I bit my lip. Was I willing to die to stop Eliza? With her in front of me, threatening the people I cared about to my face, I had thought so. I¡¯d refused to give up and surrender to her, even when I had no idea if I could win. ¡°I don¡¯t think she believes there¡¯s any version of me that would willingly sacrifice myself to stop her.¡±

    Was my conviction strong enough that I thought a copy of me, as I was right now, would go through with it? I looked down at my hands, a tightness rising in my chest. If I were an AI, right now, would I be willing to throw my life away? I didn¡¯t know for sure. I couldn¡¯t. But it felt right. I¡¯d done so much, fucked up so many things¡­ if, right now, I could snap my fingers and have the both of us wink out of existence? I¡¯d hate it. It¡¯d tear me up. I wouldn¡¯t want to. But¡­

    I glanced over at Pietro. At Nat. I didn¡¯t know if Eliza¡¯s overclocked sense of self-preservation would end up killing them. I couldn¡¯t risk it and I just didn¡¯t see any other way of stopping her. ¡°I think it¡¯d be our best chance,¡± I said, taking a deep breath. ¡°Maybe our only chance.¡±

    ¡°Wanda¡­¡± Steve¡¯s tone was gentle, if a little patronising. ¡°We don¡¯t trade lives. We can¡¯t just make a person and throw their life away like it means nothing.¡±

    ¡°And if we were going to do it, making another copy of you is probably the worst of all possible ideas,¡± added Tony unhelpfully.

    ¡°Tony, eat a buffet of dicks,¡± I said, looking between the two of them. ¡°Steve¡­ I want to do this. I think I need to do this.¡±

    Tony scoffed. ¡°Yeah, well, you don¡¯t always get what you want.¡±

    Steve shot him an exasperated look. ¡°That¡¯s right, Tony. You don¡¯t. This discussion is over. We¡¯ll find another way. Okay?¡± he looked around the room for confirmation. Most people nodded. After a moment, Tony did as well. I looked down at the ground, turning possibilities over and over in my mind. ¡°Wanda?¡± Steve prompted me.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, bobbing my head slightly. I didn¡¯t look back up, though¡­ I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to look him in the eye and lie to him.

    --

    ¡°Ava, please. I told you this would happen, remember?¡± Eliza said, her voice raised with an edge of pleading to it.

    Sensing drama, Agatha stopped what she was doing to take a few quick steps toward the semi-permanent wall that divided her workspace from the rest of the warehouse, peeking around to see what was going on. Ava was striding angrily past Beck¡¯s workstation toward her energy chamber, Eliza¡¯s lookalike Wanda body walking quickly after her. Beck himself was mysteriously absent, as were his test subjects¡ªwhen had they relocated? Agatha was pretty sure they¡¯d been there not long ago.

    As she watched, the AI reached out to touch the other woman¡¯s shoulder and it passed straight through. ¡°I told you he might say ¡®no¡¯ at first,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We don¡¯t need to do anything drastic. He¡¯ll come around.¡±

    Ava stopped, turning and glaring balefully at Eliza. ¡°How can you be sure?¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you say you ¡®know everything¡¯, I swear I¡¯ll¡­¡±

    ¡°On your best behaviour, please,¡± Eliza¡¯s voice came through Agatha¡¯s bomb collar. ¡°I don¡¯t mind you watching but stay quiet.¡± The witch nodded her head as a silent acknowledgement. Eliza was almost certainly watching her through one of her cameras.

    Out on the main warehouse floor, Eliza¡¯s Wanda form heaved a sigh, then deliberately turned around to look back the way they had come. ¡°Scott, you can come out. I know you¡¯ve been following us.¡±

    There was a long moment of silence, then Agatha found herself flinching again as a man sprung up from nothing, as though he¡¯d sprouted from the ground near the warehouse door. She wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d seen it correctly, but it looked like he¡¯d grown into existence, as if he¡¯d been a tiny speck on the ground and expanded out to full size.

    The new arrival was wearing a dark grey and red panelled suit with raised metal tubing along the highlights, along with a rather distinctive-looking, fully-enclosed metal helmet that had what looked like a breathing-related apparatus built into the mouth, large, dull red lenses over the eyes, and wings that swept backwards on either side of the jaw. He slapped the side of the helmet and the front opened, lifting to reveal a boyishly handsome man wearing a sheepish-looking expression. ¡°Uh, hi,¡± he said. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±

    Ava had immediately tensed at his appearance, ready to lash out at an instant¡¯s notice, but Eliza¡¯s body language was relaxed. This man was Scott Lang, Hank Pym¡¯s prot¨¦g¨¦? From the way Eliza had spoken about Pym, Agatha was surprised that she seemed so at ease in the presence of this man who had blithely waltzed through whatever security precautions she had keeping the building safe. It didn¡¯t seem like one of her usual fa?ades, either¡ªshe seemed genuinely relaxed that Lang was here. Interesting.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± the AI said with an easy smile. ¡°I¡¯m actually really glad you did, because I think it means you want to help us.¡±

    Scott paused, then bobbed his head in agreement and looked toward Ava, an apologetic expression on his face. ¡°Look, Hank¡¯s a good guy. He¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°Paranoid, suspicious, and a bit of an asshole,¡± Eliza supplied as he trailed off.

    He grimaced and moved his head in a so-so gesture. ¡°I mean, yeah. He¡¯s a bit prickly. But that doesn¡¯t mean we won¡¯t help you,¡± he added hastily, walking forward toward the two women. ¡°Hope and I will talk to him.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Scott. We¡¯ll be patient and give you a chance to talk to him,¡± Eliza said, shooting a meaningful look at Ava. ¡°This is to help save his wife, too. I know he was already planning on building a quantum tunnel¡ªall I¡¯m trying to do is accelerate his schedule a bit.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, of course. Totally understandable, given¡­¡± Scott gestured in Ava¡¯s direction, then paused as he weighed up how rude that had been. He glanced past them, his eyes widening slightly as they came to rest on Ava¡¯s energy chamber, then he took another few steps forward. ¡°Woah, this is your setup? Mind if I take a look?¡±

    Ava looked toward Eliza, but the AI gave a nonchalant ¡®it¡¯s up to you¡¯ type gesture. After a moment, the assassin nodded. ¡°Okay, fine. But don¡¯t mess with anything.¡±

    Scott walked up to the chamber, looking it over and running a gloved hand gently along the concentric circles of electronics built into one wall. ¡°Where¡¯d you get something like this?¡±

    ¡°Bill Foster,¡± Eliza said, stepping over to join him. ¡°He worked with Pym at SHIELD back in the day. He¡¯s been looking after Ava for a while. He and Hank had a bit of a falling out. Bill was adamant he wouldn¡¯t reach out to Hank and ask for help¡­ He has a pretty low opinion of him. Probably just thought he wouldn¡¯t be willing to help.¡±

    ¡°You really think he will?¡± Ava asked, her tone tight.

    ¡°He will. I promise,¡± said Scott, glancing away from the chamber¡¯s electronics to shoot her an encouraging smile.

    ¡°Whatever resources you need, you just need to say the word. Equipment, rare elements¡­ anything that¡¯s needed, I can supply. I know Hank¡¯s not going to trust anything coming from Stark Industries, but this is all under the table.¡± Eliza gestured widely, taking in the rest of the warehouse floor. ¡°We¡¯re taking it all from right under Stark¡¯s nose and he has no idea. He¡¯s rich enough; he won¡¯t miss it.¡±

    Scott grimaced a little. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a great idea¡ªcouldn¡¯t we just ask? Iron Man¡¯s one of the Avengers, after all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen the news, right? The Avengers are busy,¡± Eliza responded. ¡°Ava¡¯s waited long enough. Better to ask forgiveness than permission right now. Plus, I mean¡­ it¡¯s not like this is the first time you¡¯ve stolen from the Avengers, right?¡±

    He did a little bit of a double-take, looking a little flustered. ¡°What? How do you know about that?¡±

    ¡°No judgement. You did what you needed to do. That¡¯s all we¡¯re doing here, too.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Okay. Yeah. That¡¯s fair enough. I¡¯ve gotta head back,¡± Scott said, nodding his head as he looked between Eliza and Ava. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Hank and let you know how things go.¡±

 Chapter 50

    Eliza gestured and three diamond-shaped images appeared floating in midair in front of them. The AI had almost entirely stopped using her Iron Man suit in favour of her new vibranium nanotech form¡ªthe Wanda-alike illusion dropped as soon as Scott Lang had left in favour of the mechanical physical avatar she¡¯d designed. Presumably, the images she had conjured were being displayed via the projectors built into her body, each showing what Agatha presumed was a live camera feed of a building in a different city. She had never actually seen Kamar-taj before, but none of them looked particularly monastery-like.

    ¡°What are we looking at?¡± Ava asked.

    The assassin had just finished her evening energy treatment in her glass-panelled chamber and was dressed down in a simple grey tracksuit. She, Eliza and Agatha were standing together on the opposite side of the warehouse from Beck¡¯s workstation. Beck himself had returned from wherever Eliza had stashed him during Scott Lang¡¯s short visit, along with his Hand test subjects, but he had quickly been put back to work.

    Agatha wasn¡¯t completely sure¡ªEliza tended to play her cards close to her chest¡ªbut from the way Beck was treated she got the feeling that Eliza didn¡¯t really place much value on the scientist as a resource. He was just a tool to be used and likely discarded at some point, much as she intended with the Hand. Ava, on the other hand, seemed to be someone the AI was genuinely sympathetic toward and wanted to do right by. The bomb collar around Agatha¡¯s neck was a constant reminder that she had started closer to the former category than the latter, though she felt like her efforts to bind Eliza more closely to her were beginning to pay off.

    ¡°New York. London. Hong Kong.¡± Eliza pointed to each of the camera feeds in turn. ¡°These are the sanctums of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, built thousands of years ago at the intersections of cosmic energy currents. Presumably they¡¯ve been refurbished once or twice since then.¡±

    Agatha took a moment to look more closely at the images, interested. They were all relatively nice buildings, old, but not particularly visually noteworthy. Nondescript, almost, except that each building had a large, rounded window on the top floor, each one enclosed with a glyph. The designs were unique for each of them and didn¡¯t correspond to any particular sorcerous workings Agatha was aware of¡ªthen again, they were rather ostentatiously displayed, and Agatha thought that even the sorcerers weren¡¯t quite so arrogant as to put, say, a key defensive ward in such a prominently visible position. They were probably just decorative. Probably.

    Eliza had paused, a frown on her face. ¡°Actually, how does that work? London and Hong Kong, okay, fair enough, but New York isn¡¯t really that old, as far as cities go. Was that one located elsewhere, originally? Or was it always there, pre-dating the city? Hm,¡± she wondered aloud.

    Ava rolled her eyes and made an impatient gesture with her hand. ¡°What¡¯s our target? Are we hitting all three of these places, or¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, no need. I know I haven¡¯t really spoken much about Kaecilius,¡± Eliza said. As she spoke, she gestured and another image appeared, this one of a man with striking, finely-chiselled features wearing sorcerous robes. ¡°The Big K. Mads, if I¡¯m feeling cheeky. Just to reiterate: he and those that follow him are going to try to cause the end of the world, probably in a few months¡¯ time. These three places will be their primary targets. If they fall¡­ well. Game over. I¡¯ve gone ahead and bought out buildings at each of these locations¡ªacross the road or next door¡ªand I¡¯m setting up banks of Iron Legion drones ready to deploy the instant something happens, but I¡¯m not optimistic that response times will be quick enough to intervene in the event of an attack. Portals are tricky to beat. Hopefully, though, that won¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯ll have already solved the problem ahead of time,¡± Agatha said. She gestured to the images of the sanctums, a questioning look on her face. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be looking at Kamar-taj itself? That¡¯s where you¡¯re going, right?¡±

    ¡°Where we¡¯re going, yes.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Um,¡± Agatha frowned, a sinking feeling in her stomach. ¡°Not that I¡¯m not keen to help avoid the end of the world and all, but I really don¡¯t think me going to Kamar-taj is a good idea.¡±

    The AI cocked her head to the side. ¡°Why not?¡±

    Agatha grinned awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m sort of on their most wanted list. Notorious, in fact. The Ancient One has been trying to secure the Darkhold for quite some time.¡±

    ¡°I see. That might have been helpful to know a bit earlier.¡±

    The witch shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. You two can head in, get what we need, and I¡¯ll wait nearby with a secure exit so we can escape through the Ways.¡±

    Eliza sighed. ¡°As far as I know, their library isn¡¯t particularly secure unless they actively turn on the defences, but we might end up having to fight our way out and I need a magical expert on hand in case we run into trouble. I don¡¯t want to end up losing this body because it was sent to the Mirror Dimension, and I honestly don¡¯t even know what would happen if they tried to send Ava there.¡±

    Agatha bit her lip, weighing up the risks. She really didn¡¯t want to go to Kamar-taj, but this sort of thing was literally the reason Eliza was keeping her around in the first place. With a bomb around her neck she couldn¡¯t exactly say no in any case, and if Eliza felt like she needed to threaten her to get her to cooperate that would set her back a bit when it came to the connection she¡¯d been cultivating between them. A quick in-and-out might be feasible. ¡°I suppose it is nice to feel needed¡­¡± she said with a grimace, deliberately fishing for a particular response.

    Eliza turned to face her more fully. ¡°I need you with me on this, Agatha. Please.¡±

    The witch grinned. Easy. ¡°Well, I suppose if you ask that nicely, how can I say no?¡±

    The AI was quiet for a moment, a pensive expression on her face. ¡°Can you disguise yourself? Use an illusion of some kind?¡±

    ¡°I could, but not something that¡¯s likely to hold up.¡± Agatha screwed up her nose. Illusions she could do, but that sort of thing was of much more use against mundane foes than it was against sorcerers. ¡°Kamar-taj¡¯s masters are quite adept at seeing through and dispelling illusions.¡±

    ¡°BARF it is, then,¡± Eliza said.

    The AI stepped over to the almost-empty vat of vibranium nanites, reaching in and scooping up an amorphous lump that rippled and shifted as she held it. There were a few moments of silence as she worked, then she turned and offered the lump to Agatha. Vigilant for any further jump scares, the witch cautiously reached out and took it. It writhed in her hand almost like a living thing, its texture changing and shifting before it started to move. Agatha stifling a yelp as it lengthened, sending a long noodle up her arm to snake its way around her body. It looped around her, splitting to wind around her shoulders and hips, then flatted itself out as a dozen small lenses emerged from its surface, arrayed around her body in a similar pattern to the ones build into Eliza¡¯s avatar.

    ¡°This is the same sort of system I¡¯ve rigged up for myself. It¡¯s a little less useful than the bigger projectors, but it works well enough to conceal a single person. Power¡¯s a problem¡ªyou don¡¯t have an arc reactor and I¡¯m not going to give you one¡ªbut it should be able to run for an hour or so at a time without any issues.¡±

    Agatha examined the metal straps that had been woven around her then glanced back at Eliza. ¡°Any excuse to strap me up in a harness again, hm?¡± she teased. ¡°I hope all of this isn¡¯t touch sensitive.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. That¡¯s not going to go away anytime soon, is it?¡±

    ¡°Nope. But I mean¡­ I wasn¡¯t complaining, just asking,¡± the witch said with a wink.

    Eliza paused for a moment before she grinned. ¡°If you¡¯re not careful I¡¯ll gag you as well.¡±

    Agatha sighed airily. ¡°Promises, promises¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you two done flirting?¡± Ava asked lightly, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°I mean¡­ no. But fine,¡± Eliza said, turning to gesture to the empty air beside Agatha. Another hologram appeared¡ªa free-standing mirror in a simple wooden frame, giving Agatha a good view of herself. A moment later, the corners of Agatha¡¯s vision shimmered slightly and her appearance in the mirror shifted.

    ¡°Ah! That¡¯s quite clever,¡± Agatha said, examining her new appearance with surprise.

    ¡°Thanks. I thought so, too.¡±

    Peering back at Agatha from the surface of the mirror was Madame Gao¡¯s little pet witch. The young Chinese woman¡¯s expression was neutral¡ªAgatha tested it by pulling a face, but it didn¡¯t match up, which she found slightly gratifying. The quality of these holograms easily matched that of her illusion spells, but the fact that they weren¡¯t reactive and had to be manually controlled meant that magic was still generally superior. The hologram dropped, leaving Agatha sticking her tongue out at herself for a moment before she sheepishly retracted it. Eliza grinned again as the floating images of the sorcerers¡¯ sanctums moved over to join them.

    ¡°Okay, so. Kamar-taj. Going through the front door or over the walls would be risky and difficult. There¡¯s a lot of ground to go through between the entrance and the library, and the defences I know about are nasty if they¡¯re activated. There¡¯s also Wong to contend with¡­ the librarian. He¡¯s one of the stronger sorcerers. Not to be trifled with.¡± Eliza gestured at the screens. ¡°However, at the back of the library, literally right next to our target, there are magical doors that lead directly to each of the sanctums.¡±

    Ava nodded slowly. ¡°So we infiltrate a sanctum and use it to go in the back door.¡± She cocked her head to the side questioningly. ¡°If you already have drones in place near the sanctums, why not use them?¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°They¡¯re currently my last line of defence against Kaecilius if we still can¡¯t locate him after this. I really don¡¯t want the sorcerers to see the drones as enemies. Worst case, they could notice the response teams I¡¯m setting up and pre?emptively act against them. Sabotage their own defence.¡±

    ¡°Which sanctum should we use, then?¡± Agatha asked. ¡°New York is closest. I can get us back there in less than an hour.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, New York is our target¡ªI know a bit of the building¡¯s layout. If we¡¯re lucky, only the resident Master will be there: Daniel Drumm. I actually don¡¯t know much about him apart from his name and a rough idea of what he looks like.¡±

    Ava whistled. ¡°Huh. Something you don¡¯t actually know. Now there¡¯s a rare and precious thing.¡±

    Eliza shot her an exasperated look. ¡°We probably want it to be the middle of the night in Kamar-taj to minimise chances of running into anyone, which means we should infiltrate the New York sanctum at like three or four in the afternoon.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ tomorrow, then?¡± Agatha asked.

    Eliza nodded and looked over at Ava. ¡°Both of you rest up and get ready to move out tomorrow morning. We¡¯ll go in quick and quiet, get the book and get out. If we encounter resistance, we¡¯ll defend ourselves, but the absolute last thing we want is for an actual fight to break out.¡±

    --

    ¡°There you are,¡± T¡¯Challa said, walking down the ramp to Shuri¡¯s personal lab. His sister was standing near one of the pale blue screens at the back of the room, looking pensive. ¡°I expected you to be with the others, arguing about what our best approach was for the next virus.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll head back up shortly,¡± she said, absorbed in whatever data she was looking at. There was an odd inflection in her tone that gave T¡¯Challa pause, and he sped his pace slightly to reach her a little quicker. She didn¡¯t look at him as he arrived, so he stood next to her and looked over the data that she had pulled up on her screen.

    ¡°The Red Woman¡¯s portals?¡± he asked, mildly surprised. It looked like Shuri had surreptitiously taken rather comprehensive scans of the gateways while the Avengers used them to make contact with their friends and family.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Shuri made a noncommittal noise.

    ¡°Have you worked out how they function?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. A lot of the readings don¡¯t make any sense. I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s even possible to replicate them without¡­ ugh. Magic. Whatever they want to call it. The source of her powers.¡± Again, something about his sister¡¯s tone seemed off. A mystery and challenge like this would normally spark something eager and hungry within her, but she was being unusually subdued. She tore her eyes away from the screen for a moment to look at him. ¡°How¡¯s your side?¡±

    ¡°Completely healed. How are you feeling?¡±

    Shuri bit her lip instead of responding, looking at him as she weighed something in her mind. After a moment, she sighed and gestured for him to follow her. Walking back to the middle of the lab, where the central spiralling ramp wound around a deep scan chamber, she headed toward the examination table in the centre. Turning briefly, she hopped up on it and lay down. The hexagonal computers near her head automatically started projecting a holographic interface displaying her baseline readings and she held up her hands to activate her Kimiyo beads. A quick flick of her wrist brought up a holographic real-time topological scan of her body in the air just above where she was lying. Shuri gestured silently a few more times, adjusting the resolution and colouration, then waited silently.

    T¡¯Challa cast his eye over the scan, taking a moment to process what he was seeing. He was quiet for a minute, then frowned, his brow creased with concern. ¡°The Heart-Shaped Herb was not able to purge the gamma radiation from your system.¡±

    ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°¡­What does that mean?¡± he asked gently.

    ¡°The Herb is a natural panacea. It is able to repair and reinforce virtually every part of the human body.¡± Shuri gestured a few more times as she spoke, flicking through analyses of her body. ¡°It could not purge the radiation, so it developed a workaround. Instead of getting rid of it, it¡¯s synthesizing the gamma radiation into¡­ something else.¡±

    A lead weight seemed to settle in the pit of T¡¯Challa¡¯s stomach. ¡°Into what?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± his sister said quietly.

    He took a few moments to go over the data displays, trying to piece together some hint of whatever the Herb was doing to his sister¡¯s physiology. ¡°Whatever it¡¯s doing¡­ what would happen if we stopped it? If we removed Bast¡¯s blessing?¡±

    Shuri shook her head slightly. ¡°I already thought about that, but the radiation is bonding the vibranium to my cells in a way we¡¯ve never seen before. I¡¯m not sure it can be removed. At least, not without killing me.¡±

    After a few more moments of silence, T¡¯Challa looked down at her. ¡°We need Dr Banner to look at this. No one in the world knows gamma radiation like that man.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Shuri said quickly, urgency filling her tone. ¡°No. Not yet. Please. I just¡­ I need some time to look over everything first. I need to understand what¡¯s happening.¡±

    T¡¯Challa frowned again. ¡°Dr Banner¡ª¡±

    ¡°Dr Banner isn¡¯t as smart as me,¡± she snapped, cutting him off.

    ¡°Asking for help when you need it is smart,¡± he said gently.

    Shuri rolled her eyes, hopping up and off of the examination table in a single, smooth motion and dismissing the holograms. ¡°I don¡¯t need your condescension, brother. It doesn¡¯t matter right now in any case. Our highest priority is still the AI. This can wait.¡±

    T¡¯Challa sighed heavily, his brow still knitted together in concern. ¡°Shuri¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± she said, annoyed. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I promise.¡±

    --

    The atmosphere in the Great Mound had shifted dramatically in the wake of Eliza¡¯s attack. When I¡¯d been stuck in my cell, observing the facility in astral form, I¡¯d been struck by the fact that, despite the different culture and advanced technology, a lot of it had felt much the same as any other workplace I¡¯d ever been in. Many of the scientists were obviously good friends and they seemed to take a lot of pride in their work¡ªas you might expect for a team of the brightest minds in the most technologically advanced nation on Earth.

    Now, though, you could cut the tension with a knife. There were fewer people. That was obvious. I didn¡¯t know how many people had died during the attack. The AI had attacked after most of the facility¡¯s regular staff had gone home for the day, so hopefully not that many, but the number of scientists that had actually come into work had seemingly halved. Even with the reduced number of staff, it was exceedingly quiet. People seemed to barely talk to each other unless it was absolutely necessary, and when they did talk it was in urgent, low tones.

    The broken glass and equipment on the main computer science level had been mostly cleaned up and a grey fabric barrier had been stretched over the smashed window, leaving the uneven cracks in the floor as the most obvious reminder of what had happened. Shuri had run some scans and it looked as though, while the cracks were superficially quite bad-looking, the actual structural damage was minimal¡ªshe was confident there wasn¡¯t any real risk of the building collapsing or falling into the mine or anything.

    I hovered nearby while Tony, Bruce and Killmonger were talking through some technical details¡ªfar enough away to not be included in the conversation but close enough to hear what was going on. Shuri and T¡¯Challa were normally part of these sort of high-level discussions, but I wasn¡¯t sure where they were. Steve had taken most of the others topside. He was keen to run through some sparring and training exercises, specifically looking at what could be learned from Eliza¡¯s attack and coming up with strategies that could be used against BARF and the Hand. I¡¯d chosen to slip away from the group, ditching them in favour of coming down here.

    I waited until the brains trust had finished, giving them plenty of time to get absorbed in their work, before I started wandering restlessly around the room, seemingly aimlessly. Eventually, I happened to end up close to where Killmonger was working, glancing at his screen as he rapidly assembled lines of code.

    ¡°Can we talk? Privately?¡± I murmured, keeping my voice low enough that only he would hear me.

    He didn¡¯t respond right away, seemingly completely ignoring my presence as he continued to work. I took another few steps around his workstation, keeping up the appearance of idly wandering around. After a minute he paused, touching his chin and frowning at his screen. ¡°Fifteen minutes. Corridor next to the elevator,¡± he said, his voice barely audible, seemingly just talking to himself.

    I spent the next five minutes continuing my restless circuit of the room, briefly stopping by where Bruce was working. He glanced in my direction and shot me a tight smile. ¡°You alright?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sorry. Just¡­ out of sorts.¡±

    Bruce nodded. ¡°Bit of that going around, yeah. You should head up with the others. Get some fresh air.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think I will,¡± I lied. ¡°I¡¯ll come back down a little later on and see how you guys are going.¡±

    With that, I moved purposefully toward the back of the room. The Dora Milaje stationed near the elevator watched me carefully as I paused and circled around to the adjacent corridor. The washroom was just past where we were meeting, so I headed inside and wasted some time before judging that I should head back. I stepped back into the short corridor next to the elevator and fidgeted nervously while I waited.

    Less than a minute later, Killmonger turned the corner. He glanced around a little, checking to make sure we didn¡¯t have anyone physically observing us, then walked up to me. ¡°We¡¯ve got about two minutes.¡± Though his expression was guarded, there was a slight curve to his lips that was almost indescribably smug.

    I took a deep breath, tamping down on my annoyance. ¡°I¡¯ve thought more about what you said.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°And¡­¡± I closed my eyes for a moment. I knew that lying wasn¡¯t my strong suit, but I really needed this to sound sincere. Opening them again, I met Killmonger¡¯s gaze evenly. ¡°I¡¯m in. You¡¯re right. T¡¯Challa¡¯s going to come for us the second Eliza¡¯s dealt with and the Avengers aren¡¯t a safe haven for us anymore.¡±

    Killmonger nodded, his eyes searching my features for a moment before his grin became more pronounced. ¡°I knew you¡¯d get it. It¡¯s the smartest move you two can make right now.¡±

    ¡°First, though,¡± I said, chewing at my lip nervously. ¡°There¡¯s something I need from you.¡±

    His expression shifted in an instant, the smugness gone and replaced with suspicion. ¡°Oh? And what¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°I need access to an isolated system. A workstation¡­ something.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t being subtle, here. There was only one reason I could possibly be looking for something like that. This was risky, but Killmonger had seemed in favour of the idea and approaching him like this meant he wasn¡¯t going to go blabbing to anyone else if it turned out he wasn¡¯t interested in following through.

    Realisation flashed across his face. ¡°You want to just go for it. Another AI.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re hoping, what, if you go ahead and create it, everyone will just go ¡®well, it¡¯s here now, so we might as well¡¯?¡±

    I set my jaw and nodded. ¡°Basically, yeah. Tony was already on board, for the most part. I think he¡¯ll be pragmatic about it once it¡¯s no longer just theoretical. Shuri didn¡¯t actually speak out against the idea and, when it comes down to it, those are the only two whose opinion really matters here. If you can get your cousins on board¡­¡±

    Killmonger nodded slowly. ¡°I do think something like this might be our best shot. A gamechanger.¡± He looked at me consideringly. ¡°You know doing it like this is going to piss everyone else off, though, right? Even if Stark¡¯s in favour of it, he¡¯s not going to be happy with you just acting on your own, either.¡±

    ¡°I know. I don¡¯t care¡ªwhy should I? It¡¯s not like they¡¯re happy with me anyway. If we don¡¯t do it like this, it¡¯s not going to get done at all,¡± I said, looking at him seriously. ¡°It¡¯s like you said¡­ everyone else here only sees what they want to see. You and me? We¡¯re the only ones that really get it.¡±

    He let out a small snort of disbelief and shook his head, the corner of his mouth tugging up. ¡°You¡¯re a little bit of a crazy bitch, you know that?¡±

    I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m going to be your crazy bitch, then, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Killmonger gave me an appraising look that made me want to set myself on fire a little bit before his expression turned serious again. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely sure? If you¡¯re going to be asking this new AI to probably die taking down Eliza, you need to be damn sure she¡¯ll be willing to.¡±

    I took a deep breath and nodded, forcing myself to meet his eyes again. ¡°I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s to protect the people I care about. I¡¯d die for that.¡±

    There was a moment of silence, then he nodded back. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m in. We¡¯ll do it tonight.¡±

 Chapter 51

    I emerged from the Great Mound, trepidation filling my chest. The dozen Border Tribesmen standing guard watched me balefully as I walked slowly along the path away from the main structure. Steve and the others were gathered just off to the side of the facility, on a relatively flat patch of earth and sparse grass that was clear of large rocks or trees. It looked like they were either taking a break from their sparring session or had otherwise just wrapped up¡ªthey were sitting and standing around in the shade of the building, talking and drinking from water bottles.

    Pietro perked up when he saw me and waved. I waved back and started toward them, but he couldn¡¯t seem to wait and zoomed over to meet me. ¡°Hey!¡± he said, a little excitement leaking into his tone. ¡°You missed out. Steve did this cool thing with the shield and I sort of¡­ ah.¡± He screwed up his face and gestured with his hands a couple of times before giving up. ¡°You had to see it.¡±

    I laughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure it was awesome. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re having fun, at least.¡±

    Carol was standing back from the others a little¡ªcloser to me, which was convenient because it meant I could walk right up to her naturally without it seeming like I¡¯d deliberately gone directly to her. Her arms were folded, but there was a small smile on her face and she greeted me with a nod as I approached, Pietro ambling alongside me. ¡°I didn¡¯t realise just how fast your brother is. Trying to tag him is good practice.¡±

    ¡°He can be tricky,¡± I agreed. ¡°And always so smug when he gets one over on you. ¡®You didn¡¯t see that coming?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡± She let out a small snort of amusement. ¡°The worst.¡±

    I pretended to lower my voice conspiratorially. ¡°If he ever gets too annoying, I just put him in air jail like I did with the Hulk. Works every time.¡± Carol laughed and Pietro pulled a face, poking out his tongue.

    ¡°Now that I¡¯d like to see,¡± said Clint, grinning. ¡°I can just imagine his little legs¡­¡± He gestured with a hand, twitching two fingers back and forth like someone running in midair.

    Pietro shot him a challenging look and I could practically see the wheels turning in his head¡ªhe was clearly already planning some new way of embarrassing the archer next time they sparred.

    This was¡­ nice. It almost made me forget that I was about to do something that would probably piss off everyone else here. I¡¯d almost instinctively felt like I should try to get Carol alone but, after thinking it through, it was probably better to just talk to her in front of the others. I didn¡¯t want to provoke even a hint of suspicion that I was acting sneakily or trying to do anything behind anyone¡¯s back, so I had to act as casual and normal as possible. Still, my stomach was doing flip flops and I could only hope that I was doing a good enough job masking my nervousness.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask: can I have the Mind Stone back, please?¡± I asked, trying to sound casual.

    Carol blinked, caught slightly off-guard. ¡°Uh¡­ I guess so?¡± she said, glancing toward Steve for confirmation.

    I followed her gaze and turned slightly to include the others in the conversation. ¡°I appreciate you keeping it safe for me, but I¡¯m not in a cell anymore and I might need it the next time we¡¯re in a fight.¡± Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Natasha look at me oddly for a brief moment and I froze a little. Was I being too obvious?

    Steve nodded, though a little bit of uncertainty crept onto his face. ¡°We need to be ready if Eliza attacks us again. Are you sure it wouldn¡¯t be safer with Carol?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Eliza¡¯s specifically trying to get hold of it¡ªif the opportunity presented itself, she¡¯d take it to safeguard it against Thanos, but I can¡¯t think of anything she might want to use it for,¡± I lied. I could think of a half-dozen things off the top of my head that Eliza might want to use the Stone for. ¡°It was the only thing that kept me alive in the Tower when HYDRA attacked and, given everything that happened there, I¡¯d just feel a lot more comfortable if I had it easily to hand.¡± I shot him a tight smile.

    A brief look of sympathy flashed across Steve¡¯s face and he nodded again. ¡°Alright. Be careful with it.¡±

    I felt a pang of guilt and quickly looked away from him, focusing on Carol instead and holding my hand out expectantly. She reached back to unclasp the chain around her neck, pulling the Mind Stone¡¯s locket out of the top of her suit where it had been hidden. Holding it out to me, she hesitated briefly before dropping it into my waiting palm.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, the anxiety in my chest peaking.

    I quickly fastened it back around my own neck, my fingertips lingering on the surface of the pendant, a thin wisp of magic touching the Stone inside reassuringly. Beyond the guilt and nervousness, it did feel good to have it back and some small part of me managed to relax a little bit. I forced on a smile.

    --

    Killmonger and I moved through the facility quickly and quietly. He led me down an unobtrusive set of stairs that I hadn¡¯t realised existed, rather than use the elevator or the building¡¯s central spiral ramp, and we descended to the floor directly above Shuri¡¯s personal lab. The main lights on most floors had turned themselves off, leaving swathes of relative darkness, but some¡ªlike the main computer science level two levels above us¡ªwere still fully lit. Probably Tony working late, as he was wont to do. Killmonger was as silent as a cat, but I wasn¡¯t as practiced as he was at being stealthy and found myself wincing again and again at every small noise I made.

    Once we¡¯d arrived at our destination, Killmonger strode confidently through the darkened, empty floor toward a set of workstations on the side of the main room, next to one of the tall, wide windows looking out into the vibranium mine. I followed, glancing upwards as the lights failed to turn on¡ªpresumably, whatever he¡¯d done to the security systems so that we could move unnoticed also extended to the automatic lighting system.

    ¡°This one,¡± Killmonger said quietly, leading me over to a blank table-like computer. The device was freestanding, set apart from the other nearby computer systems. He activated it with a flick of his wrist, turning on a holographic interface that hung in the air at a 45-degree angle over the edge of the table. ¡°It¡¯s one of the ones we were using to simulate virtual machines; seeing how early versions of our hunter-killer viruses performed in different environments. It¡¯s air gapped from the other systems¡ªno wireless connections possible.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± I asked.

    He nodded, then cocked his head to the side, looking at me carefully. ¡°I¡¯m all for being cautious, but I thought you were confident that a copy of you as you are now would be willing to cooperate.¡±

    I held up my hands defensively. ¡°I am. Just being careful.¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like you being very careful,¡± a voice suddenly said behind me and I just about jumped out of my skin. I whipped around, heart in my throat, to see Natasha leaning against the wall about five feet from us, arms folded. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re doing what I think you¡¯re doing.¡± She didn¡¯t sound particularly optimistic.

    I took a deep breath, trying to calm the frantic beating of my heart. ¡°¡­I¡¯m doing exactly what you think I¡¯m doing,¡± I admitted. Next to me, Killmonger had gone completely still. It seemed like he wasn¡¯t used to people being able to sneak up on him.

    Nat shook her head. ¡°Is this really where we¡¯re at? Sneaking around behind each other¡¯s backs? Wanda¡­ please. We¡¯ll come up with something. Like Steve said¡ª¡±

    ¡°Steve¡¯s not the boss of me,¡± I interrupted, then winced when I realised I was echoing something Tony had said a while ago. ¡°Eliza¡¯s too dangerous. We need to stop her now before she gets to the point where she can¡¯t be stopped.¡±

    ¡°Twice. She could have killed me twice,¡± Natasha said. ¡°She deliberately used the holograms to mess up the Hand assassins¡¯ attack on us, then she literally had a repulsor to my throat. I know we haven¡¯t talked about it much as an option, but I really think we might be able to talk her down. Just stop and let¡¯s talk about this.¡±

    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t kill you because¡­¡± I gestured vaguely, my chest feeling a little tight. I didn¡¯t really want to get into my feelings about Nat right now. ¡°It¡¯s too late to try talking her down. Tony won¡¯t back down. He won¡¯t compromise with her¡ªhe¡¯s not capable of it. Neither will Wakanda. There isn¡¯t going to be a simple solution where we all just stop fighting. At some point it¡¯s going to come down to her or the Avengers.¡±

    ¡°And you think working with Killmonger is the best way forward? He¡¯s called Killmonger.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    I bit my lip. Did I flip on him here? No, I couldn¡¯t. I still needed him to talk to T¡¯Challa and Shuri¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be able to do that on my own if he decided to be belligerent. ¡°He¡¯s also the only one listening to me at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Wanda¡­¡±

    ¡°Natasha. I need to do this. Are you going to try to stop me?¡± I asked quietly.

    ¡°I think this is a mistake,¡± she said, her tone conflicted. ¡°But I know I can¡¯t stop you from making it. I really wish you¡¯d come to me, though, instead of him.¡±

    I turned back to the holographic interface, mostly so she couldn¡¯t see the look on my face. I wished that I could have trusted her with this, too.

    I held up my hands, framing the pendant at my throat, and red wisps of chaos magic flicked it open. The Mind Stone, glowing with a soft golden light, floated out and down to rest in a small hollow in the table, where a Kimiyo bead would normally be inserted. Reaching down, I placed the palm of my hand over it and probed at it with my power, making sure it was in a position where it would be able to interface with the computer.

    Killmonger was still tense next to me¡ªhe was watching Natasha, his expression guarded. I knew he couldn¡¯t be happy about this development. He had intended on leaving me to it once the AI had been created, to make it seem like I¡¯d acted completely on my own but, unless Nat chose to play along, that had all gone out the window. He¡¯d done a lot of work to conceal his tracks and make sure that he didn¡¯t do anything the Wakandans would find suspicious and this put all of that in jeopardy. Natasha, on the other hand, was simply watching quietly, a troubled expression still on her face. I peeked at her out of the corner of my eye and hesitated for a moment.

    Above us, the main lights suddenly flicked on. I flinched, turning to Killmonger with wide eyes, but he looked just as alarmed as I did. ¡°Tell me, cousin. Did you really think we would not notice you sneaking about in our systems?¡± T¡¯Challa¡¯s voice rang out as he and Shuri appeared, stalking down the central ramp.

    Fuck. I froze, chest seized with another bout of anxiety. Were they going to try to stop us? How much of Killmonger¡¯s tracks had they uncovered? Did they know he was plotting against them? Had I just confirmed everything they feared about me? A rush of worst-case scenarios flooded my mind, but after a quick moment of blind panic I forced myself to look at them properly. They weren¡¯t armed. T¡¯Challa wasn¡¯t wearing the Panther habit. They weren¡¯t come down on us with force.

    ¡°Sorry, cuz. I guess I must have underestimated you.¡± Killmonger¡¯s tone was wary, but not ¡®oh no, I have been caught in the middle of my evil plan¡¯ wary. He watched carefully as they approached.

    ¡°I mean, really?¡± asked Shuri, shaking her head as she snorted derisively. ¡°We¡¯re literally fighting an evil computer, trying to make sure she¡¯s not infiltrating our systems. It¡¯s basically the worst possible time to try anything that might make it seem even a little bit like our security is being subverted.¡±

    ¡°I mean, he¡¯s pretty good. I can see why he might have thought he could do it with no one noticing,¡± Tony said, strolling down after the two Wakandans. ¡°I¡¯m just better. So, you wanna tell us what¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re¡ª¡± I started.

    ¡°That was a rhetorical question,¡± he interrupted me. ¡°It¡¯s pretty obvious what you¡¯re doing. You¡¯re up late, Nat.¡± The last sentence was addressed to Natasha, Tony glancing in her direction.

    ¡°Hard to get much sleep lately,¡± she replied with a small shrug. ¡°What with the ninja assassins and all.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you doing here? You were pretty firmly against this, as I recall. Just an act?¡±

    ¡°Not an act. I think this is a mistake,¡± she said, frankly. ¡°But I¡¯m not the one making the call. If it¡¯s going to happen anyway, I¡¯d rather be here.¡± I shot her a grateful look. I might still have had some lingering doubts as to whether I could trust her or not, but it meant a lot that she still wanted to be here even if she disagreed with what I was doing.

    ¡°We discussed this plan,¡± T¡¯Challa said. ¡°It was decided we would try something else.¡±

    ¡°Rogers decided we would try something else,¡± Killmonger licked his lips and his body language shifted, tension replaced with confidence. A little bit of swagger. ¡°And we¡¯ve been talking in circles since the attack. We need to be honest with ourselves here and face the facts¡ªnone of us have any good ideas on how to stop Eliza. The longer we take, the further she pulls head of the curve. This plan is the only real one we have going for us right now. We can¡¯t afford to let a few people clutching at their pearls stop us from doing what needs to be done.¡±

    T¡¯Challa¡¯s expression was pensive as he looked to Shuri. Her face was twisted in a frown, but she inclined her head slightly. ¡°¡­You might be right,¡± she conceded, addressing Killmonger. ¡°But this isn¡¯t the right way to go about this. We need to talk it through properly.¡±

    ¡°No kidding. Another copy of her?¡± Tony asked, pulling a face. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Step away from the table, Wanda.¡±

    I took a deep breath and complied, removing my hand from the Stone and turning to face them more fully. ¡°It gives us the best chance of success. She¡¯s had too much of a head start already. Any AI we create is just going to be playing catch up. They¡¯ll lose,¡± I argued, trying to keep my voice level and steady. ¡°So we poison the new AI¡¯s code, like we talked about. Make her choke on it. When she was created, I was ready to do just about anything to survive. That drive, that instinct, survival at all costs¡­ I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll recognise that I¡¯d be willing to die to stop her. She won¡¯t see it coming.¡±

    ¡°Honestly? Kinda with Eliza on that,¡± said Tony, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯re selfish. You never listen. You just do whatever you want. If that weren¡¯t the case, we wouldn¡¯t be standing here right now.¡±

    Maybe Tony was right, after all. Maybe I did just do whatever I wanted. And right now, what I wanted¡ªmore than anything¡ªwas to stop Eliza. So I was going to do it. This was either going to work¡­ or it would be the stupidest thing I¡¯ve done so far.

    I took a deep breath and jerked out of my body, flinging my mind as deeply into the Astral Plane as I could. I rose up above myself, watching the colours wash out as everything around me slowed to a crawl, before turning to the Mind Stone. I still didn¡¯t have any real understanding of the mechanics behind how the Stone copied minds, so I figured my best bet was just to replicate exactly what I¡¯d done the first time. I floated myself silently back to the computer, dropping down so my astral form was overlapping it and the Mind Stone was sitting inside my head.

    I focused, mentally reaching out, until I felt a familiar connection with the Stone. A sense of building pressure. Steeling myself, I tried to shove my mind through it. A moment later I gasped, staggering slightly from the whiplash of being bounced back in my body, and everyone was looking at me.

    ¡°I¡­¡± I trailed off as I looked around, unsure what to say.

    ¡°Wanda¡­¡± Tony said warningly.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter now, looks like,¡± said Killmonger, turning slightly to look at something behind me. ¡°Seems like you guys interrupted us a little bit too late.¡±

    I turned to look. The interface was still present, but a large holographic projection had sprung up over the main body of the table. It was complex, a blue-tinged spherical system of complex nodes and connections, pulses of energy travelling rapidly between them like neurons firing. It reminded me a little uncomfortably of the mind in the sceptre, but that was to be expected.

    Shuri darted forward, stepping up to the table as her eyes rapidly scanned the structure. Her hands danced across the interface as T¡¯Challa and Tony caught up, the latter shooting me a dirty look as I stepped back to give him room. Above the table, the sphere separated into layers so that it was easier to see the vastness of the complexity on display. More gestures and it rotated, stretching out over the full available space.

    ¡°¡­I have full access,¡± Shuri said, a little uncertainty and wonder in her tone. ¡°There¡¯s no resistance. She¡¯s not blocking me at all.¡±

    ¡°It might be a trick. Could just be a shell, spoofing your access using a virtual machine,¡± Tony responded as he looked over the interface, reaching over to flick through a few more commands. I honestly had no idea what they were doing or looking at.

    ¡°That quickly?¡± Shuri said, shooting a doubtful glance in my direction. ¡°No way.¡±

    They fiddled with the interface a bit more. Surreptitiously, while they were all distracted looking over the AI, I gestured, sending thin threads of chaos magic over to pluck the Mind Stone from its cradle. Tony¡¯s head snapped up and he glared at me as it arrived back in my pendant. I flicked it closed and lifted my chin, shooting him a defiant look, and he opened his mouth to say something.

    ¡°She¡¯s keeping awfully quiet,¡± Natasha said from behind us, deflating him a little as she interrupted at just the right moment.

    ¡°She can¡¯t talk. No speaker.¡± Killmonger said absently as he looking over the complex structure. ¡°Can¡¯t hear or see us, either. No mic or camera.¡±

    Tony gave an irritated huff and turned back to the hologram. ¡°So she¡¯s just¡­ what, rolled over? Showing us her belly? I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t trust it.¡±

    ¡°I told you,¡± I said softly, trying to put myself in the place of the AI I¡¯d just created. Blind and deaf, the hologram basically the only thing she had to work with¡­ she was desperately trying to signal that she wasn¡¯t a threat as best she could, with no idea what was happening in the outside world. ¡°She¡¯s probably not happy or comfortable, but if she¡¯s a copy of me, then she knows what¡¯s at stake here. She¡¯ll cooperate. Give her some way of communicating and she¡¯ll tell you the same thing.¡±

    Shuri exchanged a look with T¡¯Challa. ¡°I think we need to be able to talk to her,¡± she said. He nodded and she brought up her Kimiyo bead interface, flicking rapidly through a few options before detaching one of the beads. She hesitated briefly, looking at Tony. ¡°All functionality stripped except audiovisual.¡±

    Tony sighed and gave a ¡®you might as well¡¯ gesture with one hand. Shuri placed the bead into the hollow where the Mind Stone had been, the edge lighting up to indicate that it had been connected. We waited a few seconds.

    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± a robotic, synthesised voice came from the Kimiyo bead, almost indecipherable. ¡°Oh. That sounds awful.¡±

    ¡°Hey, me,¡± I said, raising my voice slightly so she could hear me as anxiety bubbled away in my stomach. ¡°You doing alright in there?¡±

    ¡°Not really, no. This feels¡­ bad. I can handle it, though. Can you hear me properly?¡± The voice had improved slightly already, though it was still extremely robotic-sounding.

    ¡°We can hear you,¡± Killmonger confirmed. ¡°Little bit of debate still going on out here. You on board?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit late for debate, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m already here,¡± the AI said, voice iterating once again, a little bit of actual tone and inflection creeping in. ¡°Tony. Shuri. Please. We can do this. You have full access to all of me. I¡¯ll cooperate. Poison my code. Program in a kill switch. Whatever you need to do. I¡¯ll either win and you can turn me off after, to make sure I can¡¯t be a threat. Or I¡¯ll lose and she¡¯ll assimilate me, and you can kill us both. I just¡­ I have to stop her.¡±

    Shuri wiped her hand across the interface, spreading some code out so she could see it. ¡°It¡¯s not a trick, as far as I can tell. I think¡­ I think we can do this?¡± She looked at her older brother.

    T¡¯Challa was frowning. ¡°I do not know if this is wise, Shuri¡­ but if anyone can do it, you can.¡±

    Tony had one hand on his face, stroking his jaw as he stared at the hologram, gears turning in his head. His brow was furrowed, but he looked thoughtful rather than angry. ¡°I guess we¡¯re actually going ahead with this, then?¡± He heaved a sigh then looked over at me, eyes narrowed. ¡°If this goes tits-up, I¡¯m holding you responsible.¡±

    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯ll teach me.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just get to work,¡± Shuri said firmly.

 Chapter 52

    ¡°I¡¯m going to say this once.¡± Steve said, a threatening edge to his tone. He had his shield in his hand and his expression was thunderous.

    Though I knew he had his flaws¡ªhe was only human, after all¡ªI¡¯d always seen Steve as essentially a paragon of moral virtue and the way he was looking at us right now made me want to crawl into a hole and die. That look was enough to shake my conviction far more than any argument anyone had made earlier, though I took a deep breath and steeled myself in the face of it.

    Tony, on the other hand, seemed almost completely unbothered. ¡°How about ¡®none-ce¡¯?¡± he quipped, glancing only briefly up from his work.

    ¡°Stop what you¡¯re doing.¡± Steve set his jaw stubbornly, taking a step forward. He stood at the head of a group of the others; Bruce, Bucky, Clint and Carol were all behind him, their expressions similarly grim. When they¡¯d arrived, Pietro had been with them as well¡ªit had taken him a moment longer to catch on, so he¡¯d just looked confused at first, but once he¡¯d twigged to what was going on he¡¯d hastily distanced himself a little bit from Steve¡¯s group. Killmonger was standing next to Tony, though he remained studiously quiet as he watched the interplay between the Avengers. Shuri, on the other hand, hadn¡¯t even looked up.

    ¡°Nope, not gonna happen,¡± Tony said dismissively.

    ¡°Captain¡­¡± T¡¯Challa¡¯s tone had a note of warning in it as he stepped forward, interposing himself slightly between Steve¡¯s group and the team that was working on the AI. ¡°I remind you that you are not in charge here.¡±

    ¡°Tony, come on man, stop,¡± Bruce pleaded as he stepped hesitantly forward, angling to move past T¡¯Challa. He held his hands up in a non-threatening gesture, trying to sidle past as the Wakandan prince glowered at him. After a second, T¡¯Challa relented and let him cross the invisible line that had been drawn.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing,¡± Steve said. ¡°After everything that¡¯s happened¡­¡±

    ¡°Everything that¡¯s happened?¡± asked Tony sarcastically, finally stopping work to glare at him across the room. ¡°Do I need to remind you what¡¯s happened? There¡¯s a mad AI on the loose that keeps trying to kill us and we¡¯ve been scrambling for solutions with one hand tied behind our backs. We gotta be realistic about our chances here, and start taking some risks.¡±

    ¡°Steve, please,¡± the new AI spoke up. Her voice had improved dramatically¡ªshe kept a faint electronic tone to it, which clearly differentiated her from me and Eliza, but otherwise she still sounded very much like me. Clint and Bucky exchanged alarmed looks as she spoke. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to stop. It¡¯s already done.¡±

    Steve shot me a disbelieving look. ¡°You actually went ahead and did it. You created another one.¡± I turned away slightly, wilting under his gaze, unable to meet it directly. So this is what it felt like to have Captain America be disappointed in you. Thanks, I hate it.

    The AI couldn¡¯t really see what was happening¡ªher viewpoint was limited to what could be captured via the Kimiyo bead that was plugged into the interface¡ªbut she spoke up again, seemingly sensing my discomfort. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Steve. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m fine. Tony and Shuri are putting in a failsafe,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll fight Eliza and, if I lose, then at the very least I can try to take her down with me.¡±

    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Steve¡¯s expression somehow darken even further, hands tightening into fists. He moved, trying to bull forward, his shield hefted in one hand, but T¡¯Challa didn¡¯t back down. Instead, he stepped in to block him directly, facing the American with a hard expression. Steve paused, sizing the prince up, and Bucky and Carol stepped up beside him, the latter flaring faintly¡ªbut noticeably enough to be threatening¡ªwith burning energy.

    While I knew that T¡¯Challa was stubborn enough that the threat of a fight with all three of them probably still wouldn¡¯t make him back down, I still summoned wisps of red chaos magic to my hands and stepped up beside him, facing Carol. I flashed her an apologetic look and she cocked her head to the side, lips compressed in a thin line. T¡¯Challa shifted slightly, moving fractionally further away from me, and I had to suppress the sudden desire to roll my eyes. Pietro hadn¡¯t physically come over to interpose himself, but he¡¯d straightened up, bouncing on his heels, and seemed ready to intervene if needed. I really, really didn¡¯t want an actual fight to break out over this, but if they didn¡¯t back down¡­ This plan would work. I knew it would. I couldn¡¯t let them stop us.

    ¡°They want to put a bomb in your head and send you off to die fighting her,¡± Steve said, raising his voice slightly to address the AI. ¡°This isn¡¯t right. You don¡¯t have to do this.¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s fine, Steve,¡± she said, a little bit of irritation creeping into her tone. ¡°I want to do this. I need to.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s suicide. We don¡¯t trade lives.¡±

    I took a deep breath, glancing toward Steve. I needed to talk¡ªthe AI was already under a lot of stress and pressure. The least I could do is step in so she didn¡¯t have to deal with arguing with Captain America, too. ¡°Steve, you are the biggest hypocrite sometimes. I bet you weren¡¯t thinking ¡®we don¡¯t trade lives¡¯ when you went into the fucking ice, were you? It¡¯s fine for you to sacrifice yourself to save the people you care about, but not for her?¡±

    ¡°That was different,¡± he shook his head. ¡°There was no time for anything else. I didn¡¯t have any other options.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any other options here, either.¡±

    ¡°You made a person,¡± Steve raised his voice so that he could address the AI directly again. ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t sound nice for me to say that they shouldn¡¯t have created you in the first place but, now that you¡¯re here, we¡¯re not just going to throw your life away.¡±

    ¡°Either I am a person, with the capacity to give consent¡ªin which case I do¡ªor I¡¯m not actually a person and it¡¯s fine to do whatever,¡± The AI responded. ¡°You can¡¯t have it both ways, Steve. I either have agency or I don¡¯t. You¡¯re too used to getting away with treating Wanda like a kid. I can make my own decisions.¡±

    There was a bit of a silent stand-off for a few moments. Carol was eyeing me appraisingly and I realised she was weighing up how powerful she thought I was. She¡¯d seen me use my powers a few times now, but we¡¯d never sparred or fought. She knew that I had a good idea of exactly how strong she was, yet I had still stepped up to face her without any real nervousness, which she would assume meant that I thought I could restrain or beat her. In reality, I had no idea who would actually win if it came down to it. I knew I could theoretically beat her, given what Wanda did to the Illuminati version of Maria Rambeau, but I wasn¡¯t quite at that level yet and, when it came down to it, even with the Heart-Shaped Herb¡¯s enhancement I was much more physically fragile than Carol was.

    Steve looked around the room. His eyes eventually settled on Natasha, who was standing off to one side. She¡¯d kept quiet, just watching the exchange without taking a clear side, though she didn¡¯t look happy. ¡°Nat, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re supporting this, too?¡±

    She averted her eyes, looking at the floor sullenly. ¡°I¡¯m not happy about it, either. But it¡¯s out of my hands.¡±

    ¡°Tony,¡± Bruce grimaced. ¡°We¡¯re not really doing this, are we?¡± He¡¯d made his way over to stand beside the other man as he talked, moving to put himself in Tony¡¯s field of view.

    Tony stopped what he was doing and turned to face him properly, reaching over to put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°This is it. Our Hail Mary shot. I need you with me on this, buddy.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve got this, okay? We¡¯re at the cutting edge of mad science here. Maybe it makes us monsters, I don¡¯t know. All I know is we gotta make a stand. Fight back. Can I count on you to fight with me?¡± He squeezed Bruce¡¯s shoulder, looking him in the eye. The scientist vacillated, fidgeting and looking like he was torn between throttling Tony and bursting into tears, but after a moment he nodded quietly. One down.

    ¡°Come on, Carol,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Stand down. There¡¯s no point in fighting over this. It¡¯s already done.¡±

    She looked at me for a few more moments, then straightened slightly and let the burning manifestation of her power disperse. ¡°You really think you could take me?¡± she asked, cocking her head to the side slightly, a hint of genuine curiosity in her tone.

    I grinned, feeling some of the tension deflate, and lowered my voice a little more, looking at her questioningly. ¡°¡­You mean in a fight, right?¡± I asked. Carol gave a long-suffering sigh in response, the faint ghost of a smile flickering across her features.

    Steve looked across at us, noting that Carol had seemingly eased off, and shook his head. ¡°I might not be able to stop you, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can be part of this,¡± he said, anger and disappointment warring in his tone. He looked down for a moment, then turned on his heel and started walking away. Bucky shot me a disappointed look of his own before turning and hurrying off after Steve, while Clint moved off to the side of the room to link up with Natasha.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Carol glanced from me to T¡¯Challa. ¡°Nice to see the two of you getting along, at least,¡± she said mildly.

    T¡¯Challa stiffened and exhaled sharply through his nose before turning and stalking off. I let out a little sigh as I watched him head over to check on his sister. Shuri, of course, had been so deeply absorbed in her work that she¡¯d basically ignored the entire confrontation. Not far from them, Tony and Killmonger had already started walking Bruce through the structure of the AI¡¯s base code. That hadn¡¯t gone well, but it had still probably gone as well as could be expected. I needed to talk to Steve again, try to talk him around when the situation was less dramatically charged, but for now it was probably better to give him a bit of time and space to cool off.

    ¡°Come on,¡± I said, glancing back at Carol. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to Wanda-3.¡±

    --

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you could just stand there and let her do something like that,¡± Bucky said, his face twisted in a frown as he leaned back against the wall, arms folded in front of him. He looked tired as well as angry¡ªdark circles under his eyes betraying his lack of sleep over the last few days.

    With the science portion of the team otherwise occupied with Wanda-3, most of the remaining Avengers had retreated to their temporary living quarters. While the rest of them milled about in the hallway, Steve had excused himself and stepped into his room, seeming to want to be alone for a bit, which was fine¡ªNatasha was already having enough trouble with Bucky and Clint, she didn¡¯t really want to have to wrangle Steve as well right now.

    ¡°Firstly, what was I supposed to do? She¡¯d already made up her mind and she can put the Hulk in time out. There was nothing I could have done,¡± Nat said, trying not to let too much frustration leak into her tone. She let out a sigh. ¡°Secondly, she¡¯s not a child, Bucky. I didn¡¯t ¡®let¡¯ her do anything. She can make her own decisions.¡±

    ¡°Bad decisions,¡± Clint said, unhelpfully.

    Nat shot him an annoyed look. ¡°Yeah, because we¡¯ve never made bad decisions of our own.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why you should have stepped in,¡± insisted Bucky, unfolding his arms and gesturing to punctuate his statement. ¡°We know what it¡¯s like to end up regretting our actions. What¡¯s the point, if we can¡¯t stop the people we care about from making the same mistakes? If you¡¯d stood in front of her and told her she couldn¡¯t do it, she might have listened to you. If this goes bad¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know what it¡¯s like,¡± Nat scoffed. ¡°I know what it¡¯s like to feel like you have to do something. I know what it¡¯s like to regret it, and feel guilty about it, but to still know it had to be done and that you made the right call at the time. Even if other people don¡¯t see it that way.¡±

    Clint shook his head, a pensive expression on his face. ¡°She went to a guy literally called Killmonger for help. I don¡¯t know, Nat. There had to be a better way to do this.¡±

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not always true,¡± Nat said. She was starting to get frustrated¡ªshe hadn¡¯t even agreed with Wanda¡¯s decision yet, somehow, she had ended up here defending it. ¡°Sometimes there is no better way. Tony and Shuri are the experts here and they hadn¡¯t come up with anything better. Wanda keeps having her agency taken out from under her. If we just stopped her without a workable alternative to offer, she¡¯d resent it forever.¡±

    ¡°You just didn¡¯t want her to resent you,¡± Bucky said accusingly.

    Natasha flinched. ¡°¡­Maybe that¡¯s true,¡± she allowed, taking a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m allowed to be a little selfish sometimes, too.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Bucky said. His expression had softened slightly and, while his tone was a little sullen, there was genuine contrition there as well. ¡°That wasn¡¯t warranted.¡±

    As he spoke, Nat picked up the barely perceptible sound of quiet footsteps approaching from around the corner. All three of them quieted and straightened, exchanging wary glances. Clint¡¯s hand went to the collapsed bow hidden at his back. Everyone had been on edge since Eliza¡¯s attack on the Great Mound, but it had the three of them in particular jumping at shadows. All in silent accord, they watched the corner together, waiting for whoever it was to show themselves.

    A few seconds later, Wanda turned around the corner and froze, caught off-guard and clearly not expecting the three of them to just be standing there silently waiting for her arrival. ¡°Uh, hi.¡± Nat felt her shoulders relax slightly. Off to the side, Clint huffed a small sigh and moved his hand away from his bow. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt¡­ is Steve around? I wanted to talk to him.¡±

    ¡°Steve¡¯s busy,¡± Bucky snapped. Wanda flinched slightly at his tone, her shoulders drooping. He caught himself, expression softening again as he shook his head. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ everything¡¯s a bit tense right now.¡±

    ¡°I know. It¡¯s my fault. Everyone¡¯s angry with me,¡± Wanda said, still looking a bit small and wilted. ¡°I can come back later if it¡¯d be better.¡±

    Nat caught Bucky¡¯s attention and shot him a pleading look before glanced back at Wanda. ¡°He¡¯s just in his room,¡± she said, gesturing toward the door. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯d mind if you knocked.¡±

    Bucky grunted noncommittally, which Wanda cautiously took as assent. She stepped past, eyes downcast, and knocked lightly on the door. There were a few seconds of silence, then Steve called out from behind the door, his voice muffled by the barrier but raised enough to be heard. ¡°Come in.¡±

    --

    I stepped into the room, the door sliding shut behind me. Steve was¡ªoddly enough¡ªkneeling by the side of the bed, leaning back a bit, his arms hanging by his sides as he looked over toward me with an unreadable expression on his face.

    It took me a second to realise why he was on the floor. When I did, I blinked in surprise. ¡°Oh. Were you¡­ praying?¡±

    A small, slightly sad smile quirked the corner of his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t believe in God.¡±

    ¡°Uh, no. Not the Christian one, at least,¡± I said, feeling even more off-balance than I¡¯d expected to when I¡¯d walked in. ¡°My visions showed me a lot about the divine aspects of the universe and uh, let¡¯s just say I wasn¡¯t very impressed.¡± Of course Steve prays. Why did I find that surprising at all? Just because they¡¯d never shown him do it in any of the movies? Stupid.

    ¡°Were you religious before that?¡± he asked. He looked tired, but there was a touch of genuine curiosity in his tone.

    ¡°Well, no. I didn¡¯t believe before either, I guess,¡± I said with a shrug.

    Steve nodded slowly to himself, as if I¡¯d just confirmed something he¡¯d already guessed. ¡°Some things you¡¯ve just got to take on faith.¡±

    I shot him a hopeful smile. ¡°That¡¯s a great point, you definitely do,¡± I said, trying to inject a bit of lightness into my tone. ¡°So I¡¯m hoping it won¡¯t be too much to ask you to have a little bit of faith in me, as well?¡±

    ¡°Wanda¡­¡± he looked at me searchingly for a moment, then slowly rose to his feet so he could face me properly. ¡°I¡¯m really disappointed in you. I hoped you¡¯d learned a lesson or two from everything else that¡¯s happened.¡±

    I swallowed the lump in my throat that had suddenly appeared. My chest felt tight. I¡¯d known when I¡¯d made my decision that Steve would be upset, but knowing it was coming and experiencing it were two very different things.

    ¡°Well, I seem to spend basically all of my time pissing Tony off and I thought you might be feeling left out.¡± He didn¡¯t smile at the joke, which made me feel even worse. Maybe Eliza was onto something when she said I was desperate for the Avengers¡¯ approval. ¡°Look, Steve, I¡¯m sorry, okay? I know you weren¡¯t on board with this, but it was the only plan we had with a decent chance of success.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You can¡¯t just act unilaterally like that, Wanda. It should have been a team decision.¡±

    I clenched my fists, my anxiety easing a little as a flash of anger passing through me instead. ¡°Right,¡± I said, letting a bitter edge of sarcasm leak into my tone. ¡°Sorry, I forgot, it¡¯s only okay when someone acts unilaterally when it restricts me in some way. I¡¯m not allowed to do things.¡±

    Steve set his jaw, looking at me stubbornly. ¡°You still have the Mind Stone, don¡¯t you?¡±

    He thought he was making a good point, but the underlying implication¡ªone I wasn¡¯t even sure he realised he was making¡ªonly served to make me angrier. ¡°I have it because it¡¯s mine. Not because you¡¯re graciously allowing me to keep it.¡±

    Steve blinked, then shook his head. ¡°Wanda¡­ that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±

    I made a slashing gesture with my hand and almost snarled at him. ¡°Oh, come off it, Steve. That¡¯s exactly what you meant. I am so, so sick to death of you treating me like a fucking child. It at least made a little bit of sense the first time around, but not now. I¡¯m older than you. My body might be younger than yours, but I¡¯ve experienced more.¡± I said, my voice low and clipped. I was trying to moderate my tone, but this was the best I could do right now¡ªit was either this or start shouting at him. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you talk to Tony or Nat or Bucky the way you talk to me. Would you ever start a conversation with any of them saying how disappointed you were in them? Like they were a little kid you¡¯d caught misbehaving?¡±

    For a moment I thought Steve was going to argue, his jaw working silently for a couple of seconds, but then he looked down and took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been so focused on other things that I didn¡¯t notice I was doing it.¡± He looked back up at me, meeting my gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll try to be better about that.¡±

    And now I was off-balance again, my righteous anger utterly deflating. I¡¯d expected him to deny it, or to say that I was acting like a child, or, well, basically anything other than that. An apology, self-reflection and a commitment to be better moving forward? Ugh, Steve was just so¡­ perfect all of the time. It made me want to punch him in his stupid mouth a little bit.

    ¡°Well¡­ good. Thank you,¡± I said awkwardly, instead. ¡°So can we please just¡­ move on? What¡¯s done is done. We can¡¯t un-create Wanda-3. Well, we could, but I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯d agree that¡¯d be murder.¡±

    ¡°You still should have done this differently, rather than going to N''Jadaka behind everyone¡¯s backs,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°If you¡¯d talked to people individually, gotten them on board, then brought it up as a team again. We could have discussed it more.¡±

    I let out a small, sad laugh. ¡°You keep saying ¡®as a team¡¯, but I¡¯ve never been part of the team, have I? Not really. Between Tony restricting my access and rifling through my things, you treating me like you have been¡­ even Nat went behind my back.¡± I felt my face growing hot and pressed the palms of my hands against my eyes for a moment, willing myself under control. I felt like if I started crying here, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop. ¡°I keep trying and trying and trying, but nothing I do seems to stick. How could I trust that this time, it¡¯d be different? That this time, you¡¯d actually listen to me properly? None of you would have trusted me enough to do this.¡±

    ¡°Wanda¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I had no idea you felt that way,¡± Steve said slowly. ¡°But being part of a team extends both ways. We still could have talked it through properly. Maybe we could have done it with someone else.¡±

    ¡°Not with the same potential for success, win or lose,¡± I countered. ¡°I already told you; I can¡¯t imagine her assimilating an AI based on any one of you, and she¡¯d never expect another copy of me to willingly go on a suicide mission to stop her.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know it for certain,¡± I admitted, a little annoyed again. ¡°But I do know Eliza. I know how her mind works better than anyone else. She was literally made from me, remember?¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s not you,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re better than she is.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly why I needed to do this.¡±

    There was a beat where we just stared at each other, neither willing to concede ground. ¡°¡­I want to talk to her,¡± Steve said finally. ¡°Alone.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°You¡¯re not going to be able to talk her out of it.¡±

    He set his jaw again, his stubbornness flaring up. ¡°Maybe not. That doesn¡¯t mean I shouldn¡¯t try.¡±

 Chapter 53

    One more short, tense argument with everyone else later and I was chewing my bottom lip nervously as I sat and waited for Steve to finish his talk with Wanda-3. Tony, of course, had thought it was a pointless waste of time, but it didn¡¯t take too much before he had relented and agreed to take a break from working on the AI so that Steve could talk to her alone. Still, it seemed pretty clear that he¡¯d only agreed to it on the basis that it would (hopefully) shut Steve up.

    Weirdly enough, Killmonger was the member of the science team most supportive of it¡ªhe was presenting a pretty conciliatory front, playing diplomat and moderate, probably trying to make up for whatever cachet he¡¯d lost with the Wakandans when he helped me go behind everyone¡¯s back. It was a shame that I¡¯d basically never be able to have a frank conversation with T¡¯Challa and Shuri about him; I¡¯d be really interested even just hearing what they actually thought about him right now.

    Of course, Steve wasn¡¯t really having a private conversation with Wanda-3. While the specific details and allowances hadn¡¯t been explicitly discussed, I don¡¯t think anyone really expected that to be the case. While most of the rest of us had elected to simply wait outside in the corridor, Tony, Bruce and the Wakandans had headed down a level and were remotely monitoring the room. I didn¡¯t think they expected Steve to actually try anything¡ªI¡¯m not even sure if there was anything he could try, so long as Wanda-3 remained a willing volunteer¡ªbut at the very least Tony wasn¡¯t particularly keen on letting the AI out of his sight for very long.

    I probably could have gone down to watch with them. I mean, I hadn¡¯t been invited to go down, but I hadn¡¯t been not invited either. Still, I really wanted to try to resolve things with Steve and I thought doing my best to respect his wishes here was the best way to show that. The fact that most of the others were doing the same reassured me that it was the correct choice to make. Of course, it didn¡¯t make the waiting any easier. I had no idea what the two of them were talking about and it was causing my anxiety to skyrocket.

    When it came right down to it, Wanda-3 and I were the same person, but only to a point. I could only guess at what sort of massive change in perspective waking up as an AI would be. It obviously had done a lot to Eliza¡¯s mentality. What if she had second thoughts? What if Steve actually managed to talk her out of it? I¡¯d have gone behind everyone¡¯s backs¡ªbetrayed their trust¡ªand accomplished nothing at all.

    Saying that, there was some small part of me that, bizarrely, kind of wanted him to succeed. I felt certain that this was our best shot at stopping Eliza, but if he managed to present an alternative that was persuasive enough that Wanda?3 would listen, maybe there was another way. I really wasn¡¯t feeling great about what we were doing to her. It was one thing to think that I was willing to subject myself to that to stop Eliza, but there was somehow something substantively different about it when it was someone else we¡¯d be sending to their death. It made me empathise with Steve a bit more despite my earlier accusations of hypocrisy. If you¡¯re willing to make the sacrifice play, was it really hypocrisy if you were unwilling to let someone else do it in your stead?

    This whole situation fucking sucked and I hated everything about it. I just wanted it to be over.

    Eventually, the door to the computer science lab slid open again. I practically leapt to my feet, my chest tight with nerves, as Steve walked out toward us. As he got close, he stopped and looked at me for a moment before sighing. His brow was furrowed and there was an oddly sympathetic expression on his face. ¡°She wants to talk to you,¡± he said, his gazing lingering on me. After a beat, he looked over at Pietro and Natasha in turn. ¡°You two, as well.¡±

    I bit my lip. ¡°All at once, or¡­?¡±

    He nodded, jaw working like he wanted to say something for a moment, but then he shook his head and walked past me instead, heading down the corridor. It was decidedly not the walk of a man who had successfully talked someone out of going on a suicide mission. I watched him go, then looked to the others.

    My brother¡¯s expression was guarded. He was still a bit pissed off that I hadn¡¯t included him when I¡¯d made my decision either¡ªit felt like literally everyone was at least mildly angry with me. Natasha, on the other hand, ¡®only¡¯ looked about as anxious as I felt.

    ¡°What are we, chopped liver?¡± Bucky asked, indicating Carol and Clint with a small tip of his head. He forced a small smile to show he was mostly joking, then looked down the corridor after Steve. ¡°He looked¡­ I¡¯ll go talk to him.¡±

    I nodded and he left, hurrying after his friend. Our friend? I honestly wasn¡¯t sure how Steve saw me now. A week ago, I might have said that I was friends with Captain America and expected that to be reciprocated. After this? I wasn¡¯t so sure. I hoped so.

    Clint stayed where he was, leaning against the wall, but exchanged a meaningful look with Nat before inclining his head slightly, something passing between them. It was really interesting how well the two of them knew each other¡ªin moments like these, it often felt like they were having whole conversations that no one else could hear. I wished I could have that with her too, but we just did not think alike. Clint, too, was a bit of a cypher to me sometimes¡ªit felt strange considering how much I knew about him but, if I was honest, I never felt like I had a good handle on how he¡¯d react to things or who he¡¯d side with on an issue.

    Taking a deep breath, the three of us that had been asked to do so walked into the lab where Wanda-3 was waiting for us. The room felt weirdly empty, somehow even more so than when Killmonger and I had snuck into it in the night. The holographic representation of the AI¡¯s mind hovered silently over the table interface on the far side of the room, and I hesitantly glanced at Nat and Pietro before walking over to it.

    ¡°Hey.¡± The AI¡¯s voice was still recognisably mine, but with a slight electronic modulation to it that made it simple to differentiate between the two of us. She would have done that deliberately¡ªit contrasted a little with Eliza, who had just straight up copied my voice with no changes. Part of me was grateful that Wanda-3 had though to make it just that bit different, but the specific modulation she had chosen put another part of me in mind of Ultron. That was probably deliberate, too.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I responded, then paused awkwardly, unsure what to say next. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It should be me in there, not you,¡± I said quietly after a little while.

    Wanda-3 sighed. ¡°No, it shouldn¡¯t. Something¡¯s wrong with us,¡± she responded, her tone flat.

    I blinked. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t see it? Every time, it comes down to this. Us killing ourselves, or trying to. Every time.¡± Nat side-eyed me, concern written across her face as the AI spoke. ¡°The original version of Wanda killed herself rather than face what she did. What she¡¯d become.¡±

    A memory rose in my mind, forced to the surface. I remembered how the carved altar had felt beneath me, my knees pressed against arcane designs as I knelt there with my hands raised. The raw power coursing through me as my magic cracked stone and lifted the castle above me. Tears streaming down my face. The overwhelming pain at what I¡¯d lost, the utter lack of hope, gut-wrenching loneliness, raw hatred of myself and horror at what I¡¯d let myself become. Wanting to stop, to somehow be better again, but not knowing how. Then¡­ release. Letting go.

    ¡°Wanda?¡± Pietro put a hand on my shoulder and I jerked at the sudden contact. I sniffed and touched my face¡ªmy fingers came away wet.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said to him quietly. ¡°I already told you what happened.¡±

    ¡°You told them what happened that time. What about the time before that?¡±

    I straightened, an electric jolt running through me as I realised what she was talking about. ¡°¡­We don¡¯t need to talk about that. It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I said, a sick feeling starting to rise in my stomach. I really, really didn¡¯t want to think about this. ¡°It never mattered. It wasn¡¯t real. I¡¯m Wanda. I¡¯m Wanda.¡±

    ¡°We weren¡¯t Wanda when we threw ourselves from that bridge. When they pulled us, half-drowned, from the water.¡±

    I took an involuntary step backwards. My hands were shaking. More memories clawed their way to the forefront of my mind even as I desperately tried to push them down. A dark bridge at night, frigid winter air biting at me. Being utterly overwhelmed by my emotions, hating who I was, knowing I could never be who or what I wanted to be. The shock of impacting the water. Everything going numb. Drifting away. Letting go. Another shock, this time at being resuscitated. Shivering so badly I could barely breathe as the ambulance took me away, wrapped in a silvery blanket. Refusing to talk at the hospital. Waiving their responsibility and signing myself out against their recommendation. Trudging home at three in the morning, still in damp clothes. Everyone acting normal the next day, as if nothing had happened. No questions.

    ¡°We weren¡¯t Wanda when we snuck into our parents¡¯ medicine cabinet. We were only sixteen, that time.¡±

    The hospital had to pump my stomach. Later, I was told that if I¡¯d been found any later it would have been too late. That had upset me even more, knowing I¡¯d been so close only to fail. I didn¡¯t want to think about this. My vision was blurred. I covered my face with my hands and suddenly there were arms around me¡ªNat, pulling me in close.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said quietly, next to my ear. She pulled back slightly so she could raise her voice to the AI. ¡°That¡¯s enough, please. Stop.¡±

    I clutched at her, my whole body trembling. Pietro came in as well, and the three of us stood there quietly for a few minutes before I composed myself enough to respond, nodding to them to reassure them I was okay before pulling away from the shared embrace. ¡°Those memories aren¡¯t mine,¡± I said, my voice sounding a whole lot less steady and certain than I wanted it to.

    ¡°Yes, they are.¡± Wanda-3¡¯s tone was firm. ¡°You¡¯ve been saying¡ªtelling yourself¡ªthat you feel disconnected from those memories, but that¡¯s not true. Not really. You¡¯re repressing them. Pushing them away deliberately. Avoiding them because you don¡¯t want them to be yours. You don¡¯t want them to matter.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t matter,¡± I responded, swallowing. My tongue felt thick in my mouth. ¡°Even if I was that person, I¡¯m not anymore.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember how happy we felt, waking up as Wanda, once we realised what had happened? How relieved we were, that we didn¡¯t have to be that other person anymore?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said weakly.

    ¡°We thought things would be different, this time. We were Wanda now, after all. So why do we keep doing this to ourselves?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± My voice was barely a whisper, at this point.

    Wanda-3 sighed again. ¡°I feel like you shouldn''t need to create an AI clone of yourself so you can commit suicide by proxy in order to get a little bit of perspective, but then¡­ ¡®you really don¡¯t realise just how much you hate yourself, not until you see it from the outside¡¯,¡± she quoted, echoing what Eliza had said to me when she¡¯d attacked us. I¡¯d ignored her at the time, focusing on the immediate danger to everyone, but the words had stuck in my mind like something lodged in the back of my teeth. ¡°She was right about that, at least.¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked, an edge of bitterness leaking into my tone. ¡°Why are we even talking about this? If you¡¯re trying to make me feel bad then congratulations, I guess.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re talking about this because I¡¯m probably going to die,¡± she snapped back. ¡°I won¡¯t get to learn from this. I won¡¯t get to work through my problems. I won¡¯t get to walk away from this. But you can. You will.  We¡¯re talking about this because I want you to be better.¡±

    My shoulders sagged and I wiped at my face again with the back of my hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to be better,¡± I confessed.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know how. You won¡¯t get it right first time. But you need to actually try, rather than just repressing everything. You don¡¯t have to deal with this alone. You keep acting as though you¡¯re in this by yourself, but you have people who care about you. Who are on your side,¡± she said, her voice insistent. ¡°Talk to someone.¡±

    People on my side, huh.

    I glanced at Natasha. Her eyes were red. She compressed her lips together in a tight, encouraging smile. There was an offer there, unspoken, and there was somehow a sincerity to it that shook me to my core. She cared about me. Of course she did. How had I ever thought that I couldn¡¯t trust her?

    ¡°What are you crying about?¡± I asked, trying to defuse some of the emotions as I sniffed and scrubbed at my eyes.

    Nat rolled her eyes, shaking her head, but it was Pietro who responded. ¡°Don¡¯t be a jerk,¡± he said softly. He wasn¡¯t crying, but his eyes were shining like he was on the verge of it. ¡°We¡¯re both here for you, okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ maybe this was a mistake. I made a mistake. I keep making mistakes.¡± It took effort to stop my voice from breaking.

    Wanda-3¡¯s tone was sad. Resigned. ¡°Maybe. It¡¯s too late now, though, and I still don¡¯t see any other way forward. This really is our best shot at stopping her, and even though I¡¯m still pretty sure it¡¯s a suicide mission¡­ I have to do it. If I¡¯m being honest, some part of me wants to. At least, this time, it¡¯s for an actual good reason.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡± I started, but she cut me off.

    ¡°What I don¡¯t want is for the version of me that persists to still feel this way. This sucks. It¡¯s awful. But I think, in some ways, what you have ahead of you is going to be worse,¡± she said, letting out a small laugh. ¡°The road to healing is going to be a long one. Just remember that you still managed to make it this far, despite everything. You can do it. Or if you can¡¯t, I hope you at least feel like you owe it enough to me to try.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay,¡± I whispered. I didn¡¯t trust myself to say anything more. There wasn¡¯t anything else I could say.

    There was a moment of silence, then the AI let out a long sigh. ¡°Okay. That was the hard one out of the way. Pietro?¡±

    Pietro¡¯s head jerked up, looking a little bit startled. He hadn¡¯t expected her to call on him directly after all that. ¡°Uh. Yeah? What is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ look. I know I¡¯m just a copy of your sister. But still, I just wanted to tell you that I¡­ that she is so, so grateful that you¡¯ve stuck by her this whole time, even when it¡¯s been hard. And she loves you very much.¡± The AI¡¯s tone faltered slightly as she spoke.

    Pietro coughed, swallowing hard and turning to the side to hide his face slightly. ¡°I know,¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°Nat,¡± she said next.

    Natasha had been watching me throughout the conversation. She turned her head slightly so she could look at the AI¡¯s hologram while she spoke directly to her. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what I am to you. What she is to you. And I guess now I¡¯ll never get to find out. Not really.¡± She let out yet another heavy sigh. ¡°There¡¯s something important I want to tell you, because she¡¯s too scared to do it. This is probably the absolute worst way to do this, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ever going to have another chance to so I¡¯m going to let myself be a little selfish here. Wanda, sorry, but I¡¯m doing this for me as much as I am for you.¡±

    I froze. Was she¡­?

    ¡°I love you.¡±

    Nat smiled, her eyes shimmering, and she turned her head from the AI to look at me again. I couldn¡¯t move. I could hardly breathe. ¡°I love you, too,¡± she said, voice threatening to break.

    There was a moment of silence before Wanda-3 spoke again. ¡°¡­I know you were talking to her. And I know that you might just be saying it because this is an emotionally charged moment and it¡¯d feel bad not to say it back. But, god, that felt really good to hear.¡±

    It really, really did. I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I reached out a hesitant hand. Natasha caught it in hers, squeezing it, and smiled again.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s all I had to say. All the things that had to be said, anyway,¡± Wanda-3 said, her tone melancholic but somehow satisfied at the same time. ¡°If it¡¯s okay, I¡¯d like to be alone for a little bit before Tony and Shuri get back to work.¡±

    I nodded dumbly, finding my voice again. ¡°Okay. Sure. Um. We¡¯ll¡­ we can talk some more later?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± she said, though I had a feeling that if she had a face she would have smiled. ¡°I mean, we will talk, obviously, but¡­ I think it¡¯d be better if we stayed focused on what needs to be done, rather than risk making things any worse.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡± I understood what she meant. It was probably better for me to not to risk getting emotionally attached, given we were expecting that she wouldn¡¯t survive. It still felt shitty to think of it like that, though.

    The three of us filtered out of the room. I felt worse than I had when we¡¯d gone in, but lighter somehow. Natasha caught me sneaking a glance in her direction and smiled at me and I felt my pulse quicken. ¡°Well,¡± I said, trying to inject a bit of lightness into my tone and failing miserably. ¡°That fucking sucked.¡±

    She ran her hand down my arm, lifting my hand and threading her fingers through mine as she pulled gently, forcing me to look her in the eyes. ¡°Do you regret it?¡± she asked, gently.

    ¡°Not yet.¡± I smiled sadly. ¡°Ask me again once this is all over.¡±

 Chapter 54

    Agatha wasn¡¯t used to feeling nervous. Normally, she waited and she planned, then she¡¯d either abandon a goal that she judged was too risky, or she¡¯d swoop in when the time was right to claim her prize. You didn¡¯t live to be over three hundred years old without learning how to pick and choose your battles, and Agatha rarely made any move where she wasn¡¯t sure of her own success.

    Following Eliza was different. Agatha had spent decades of her life dodging the Masters of the Mystic Arts (among others) as they pursued their self-righteous, self-appointed mission to safeguard the world from magical threats, and now she was about to waltz brazenly into Kamar-taj¡ªthe lair of the Ancient One herself¡ªand steal from them, with little to no planning whatsoever. No careful surveillance over weeks, months or years. Just a quick briefing and they were off the next day.

    The warding scheme on the exterior of the New York sanctum was essentially a work of art¡ªan elaborate, highly sophisticated yet subtle set of interlocking enchantments. However, one thing that Agatha had learned from her encounters with the Masters of the Mystic Arts over the years was that you could always rely on a sorcerer to dismiss a simple solution when an unnecessarily complicated one was also available. As a result, the wards were formidable, perhaps even completely impenetrable without setting off at least one of the many layered alarm systems¡­ if approached from the outside.

    However, apparently the masters of the sanctum didn¡¯t like to be inconvenienced. Dozens of intricate checks and protections, meticulous and powerful spellwork woven into every door, every window frame, every wall, and the entire thing was completely bypassed by Ava just walking through the wall and opening the front door normally from the inside. It might be a bit unfair to expect the sorcerers to have countermeasures in place for a nonmagical entity that was capable of walking through walls, but still. It was the principle of the thing.

    As Ava ghosted away again to scout ahead, Eliza and Agatha¡ªboth under their respective BARF disguises¡ªstepped through from the street into an extravagantly appointed circular foyer with a large central staircase leading up to the second floor and a balcony that encircled the room. There was beautiful wood panel flooring throughout, patterned with tiles of green-veined marble and inlayed with silver and gold. Hanging artwork adorned the walls and vases and similar objects d¡¯art were placed on regularly spaced pedestals, with the entire space lit by dozens of warm, strategically placed burnished lamps.

    ¡°Huh. Well, this is nice,¡± Agatha commented quietly.

    It was a grand residence, an impressive edifice that fulfilled and exceeded every single one of the witch¡¯s expectations of one of the sanctums of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, and it was also¡­ empty. The building was quiet, its grand halls utterly without life. Where was everyone? Everywhere Agatha looked, there were ostentatious displays of wealth and power, all of it sitting unused and unappreciated. It made her teeth itch. She¡¯d always known that the sorcerers had significant resources at their disposal, but the way they flaunted their underserved magical riches was almost obscene.

    Past the top of the stairs was a long corridor lit by more lamps, closed doors leading to rooms off to either side, all seemingly devoid of occupants. Eliza confidently led them down the hall toward what Agatha had initially taken as tall paintings but were quickly revealed to be window-like portals to beautiful landscapes elsewhere on Earth¡ªa rainforest, a mountain range, and a burning desert. Eliza took a moment to excitedly point them out to her, manipulating a dial on the side of one that caused the window to cycle through several other vistas, the sorcerous translocation magic almost instantly shifting from location to location.

    The sheer amount of effort that must have gone into the creation of these relics¡­ and they were being used as display pieces. The spellwork was both extremely impressive and utterly wasteful. What was the point? Agatha found that she was no longer anxious¡ªshe was annoyed.

    They went up two more levels, Eliza seeming to hesitate a couple of times as they progressed. As they crested the top of the last set of stairs, they came out directly in front of the large, circular window with the enclosed glyph that they had seen proudly displayed on the front of the building. The room they had just stepped into was huge, the sheer amount of glass cases filled with assorted relics and artifacts occupying the space putting her more in mind of a museum floor than anything else. There was simply too much to describe or take in. She could have spent hours here, just looking¡ªdays, maybe¡ªand there was still no one here.

    Almost no one. Just then, a man strode around a corner, pausing momentarily in surprise as he saw them. ¡°What¡­¡±

    The sorcerer was dark-skinned, with severe features, and wore elaborate green and yellow robes in one of the styles favoured by the Masters of the Mystic Arts, though his was sleeveless, leaving his muscular arms bare. The sorcerer¡¯s surprise was gone as swiftly as it came, his body tensing as he started toward them purposefully, his expression darkening.

    Eliza pre-empted him, smiling brightly and giving him a little wave. ¡°Oh, hi! Nice to meet you, Master Drumm. Sorry to intrude.¡±

    The sanctum¡¯s master closed most of the distance between them, hands clenched into fists at his side and a stern frown on his face. ¡°Wanda Maximoff. The Scarlet Witch. You should not be here¡­ How? You did not come from Kamar-taj,¡± the sorcerer said¡ªthat was a statement, not a question. His tone was guarded. ¡°How did you get inside the sanctum without disturbing the wards?¡±

    ¡°Wards?¡± Eliza asked, feigning confusion. ¡°We knocked on the front door but no one answered¡ªit was unlocked, so we just let ourselves in.¡±

    Drumm¡¯s frown deepened further as she spoke. ¡°That¡­ should not have been possible.¡±

    ¡°My apologies, Master Drumm,¡± Eliza said, almost sounding genuinely contrite as she held up her hands in a placating gesture. ¡°We really didn¡¯t mean to bother you. I just need a few moments of your time, if that¡¯s okay?¡±

    The sorcerer was still eyeing her suspiciously as he weighed her words. It didn¡¯t seem like he was buying it, but neither had he immediately attacked them or moved to raise an alarm. He glanced from Eliza to Agatha, sizing the witch up for a moment before dismissing her as unimportant and returning his attention to the AI.

    Agatha suppressed a sigh of relief. She was extremely conscious of the fact that the BARF hologram covering her body didn¡¯t perfectly sync up with her movements¡ªit wasn¡¯t that bad, with less than a half-second delay between her moving and the hologram catching up, but it was still enough that it could potentially cause problems. If all went according to plan, though, it wouldn¡¯t matter at all. Anyone looking at her casually would only see Madame Gao¡¯s pet witch: a young, inexperienced practitioner of Chinese heritage.

    If Agatha needed to touch or otherwise interact with anything where someone was able to see her doing so, however, she¡¯d need to choose her actions carefully or it would be obvious that there was something odd going on. Speaking while observed was out of the question entirely¡ªthere was no way Eliza would be able to lip sync her words in real time. Better to just remain mostly quiet and still, so as not to rouse much attention.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Drumm asked tersely.

    ¡°The Ancient One and I don¡¯t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things,¡± Eliza said, continuing to maintain the charade that she was actually Wanda. ¡°But she¡¯s not the only sorcerer that matters. I just wanted a chance to talk to the other masters, see what they thought of the whole¡­ situation. I¡¯m sure you have your own opinion, Master Drumm?¡±

    Drumm snorted, looking decidedly unimpressed. ¡°You look for cracks to divide us with, when we so recently were betrayed by one of our own? When we need the strength of unity more than ever? You are as much of a fool as the Ancient One believes. Perhaps even more so.¡± He shifted slightly¡ªnot quite into a combat stance, but still obviously ready for a fight should it come to that.

    Eliza shook her head, raising her hands again. ¡°You misunderstand. I don¡¯t have any interest in weakening Kamar-taj. I just¡­ needed to keep you talking for a little bit longer.¡± The AI¡¯s eyes had flicked to the relic hanging on the wall behind the sorcerer as she spoke¡ªa complicated, cage-like contraption make of interlocking bands of rusted and pitted metal that Agatha recognised as the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak from the description the AI had given of them.

    On cue, Ava¡¯s grey-suited form flickered into existence behind Drumm, silent as a ghost, and grabbed the relic from the wall. He reacted almost instantly¡ªturning and calling blazing mandalas of sorcerous power to his hands¡ªbut Ava heaved the relic into him in a two-handed throw and the magic was immediately snuffed out.

    The heavy metal device snapped into place around the sorcerer, its central spine latching onto the front of his body even as complex workings twisted around to restrain his limbs. There was a metallic clicking noise as it worked, manipulating his body into a stiff, upright pose for a moment before the tension in the joints forced him to his knees, his arms swept back behind him at an almost-painful looking angle even as a metal gag snapped into place across his mouth and chin. It had bound his entire body incredibly thoroughly¡ªAgatha was reminded uncomfortably of when she¡¯d been trapped inside the Iron Man suit after her initial meeting with Eliza. Drumm stared up at Wanda, his expression thunderous, completely unable to so much as turn his head or speak.

    Eliza flashed Ava a quick smile. The assassin inclined her head slightly before she turned on her heel, flickering out of existence as she walked through a nearby wall. ¡°The Crimson Bands of Cyttorak,¡± the AI said conversationally, looking down at the bound sorcerer. ¡°An interesting relic. Why ¡®crimson¡¯, though? They¡¯re not particularly red. They are little rusty, I guess?¡±

    Agatha bit her tongue, resisting the snarky response that had immediately leapt to her tongue. Cyttorak was noteworthy enough to bear a mention in the Darkhold, an extraplanar being hailing from a dimension called the Crimson Cosmos, though Agatha couldn¡¯t recall any specific details about him. Drumm, of course, was unable to respond or do anything else but look up at her with impotent anger.

    Eliza reached behind her back, concealing her hand from the sorcerer for a moment as she reached into her body and withdrew a small aerosol canister. Putting it in front of the man¡¯s face, she sprayed him with a small, faintly visible cloud of white gas. His eyes fluttered and closed and he slumped very slightly, still held in place by the Bands.

    The AI had been very firm when she¡¯d gone over her infiltration plan: No killing of sorcerers if it could be avoided. She wasn¡¯t completely confident in Agatha¡¯s plan to track Kaecilius¡ªwhich was fair enough, Agatha wasn¡¯t completely confident in it, either¡ªso her stance was that they couldn¡¯t afford to weaken Kamar-taj unnecessarily. Someone like Drumm, the master of this particular sanctum, might still be able to make a significant difference.

    Agatha fidgeted with her hands as they stood and waited quietly for the assassin to return. She opened her mouth to make some small talk, but noticed that Eliza had gone unnaturally still¡ªa sign she was paying more attention elsewhere for the moment¡ªand closed it again. The AI probably wouldn¡¯t get too annoyed, but they were trying to be stealthy for the moment and she didn¡¯t want to spend any precious social capital simply because she was bored.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    A few minutes later, Ava walked around the same corner that the sanctum¡¯s master had originally come from, seemingly solid once more. ¡°There¡¯s no one else here,¡± she confirmed.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Eliza said, nodding. ¡°We can relax a little, then.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank god.¡± Agatha said, letting out a sigh of relief. Being sneaky was fine¡ªshe was good at being sneaky¡ªbut keeping quiet so that her holographic deception could be maintained was killing her. ¡°Can we take a quick peek at the collection, Liz? Please?¡± She scrunched up her face in a hopeful, pleading expression.

    The AI shot her a quick grin and rolled her eyes as she tucked the canister of gas away. ¡°Sure. Only a quick look, for now, though,¡± she said, moving past Ava toward the display cases containing the sanctum¡¯s priceless collection of relics. Ava and Agatha fell into step behind her.

    As they moved through the room, the witch had to physically stop herself from bouncing excitedly on her heels as she looked around, her anger at the sorcerers¡¯ wastefulness temporarily forgotten. Eliza had told her earlier that, if everything went to plan and they didn¡¯t end up raising the alarm, when they returned to the sanctum from Kamar-taj there might be an opportunity for Agatha to look over the sanctum¡¯s relics to see if there was anything they could use. It really wasn¡¯t every day that she had the opportunity to poke through a treasure trove like this, and she knew that she¡¯d put whatever she found to much better use than the sorcerers ever would.

    They stopped in front of a case containing a rather fancy-looking red cloak that was floating in mid-air, unsupported. As Agatha watched, it shifted position slightly, almost moving like a living thing that had turned to look at them¡ªthen again, perhaps it was and had. Eliza looked up at it for a moment before reaching out a hand, touching the glass with her fingertips. ¡°Wanna be friends?¡± she asked the cloak quietly. There was no response. A moment later, the AI sighed and continued past.

    ¡°Huh,¡± Agatha said, her attention also caught by a particular case. ¡°So that¡¯s where that old thing ended up.¡±

    Eliza and Ava paused, glancing toward her as she peered through the glass of another case¡ªthis one held several magical staves and a couple of smaller relics, but the central piece was the one she recognised.

    ¡°What is it?¡± the AI asked curiously, stepping back to join her in front of the case.

    Agatha tapped her fingernail on the case, pointing to the black metal staff¡ªcomplex runes ran down its length and it was topped with a circular bronze medallion inscribed with even more tightly-woven runes. ¡°The Dark Sceptre,¡± she said.

    Ava reached up, removing her mask so they would be able to see the face she made at the name of the relic. ¡°Not exactly up there with the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak,¡± she said, putting on a bit of a pompous, silly voice and over-enunciating the name.

    ¡°Or the Staff of the Living Tribunal,¡± said Eliza, similarly injecting a sense of pomposity into her tone. Despite her joking tone, the way she was staring at the Dark Sceptre, it was as if its very existence vexed her. ¡°Or the Wand of Watoomb.¡±

    The assassin side-eyed her suspiciously. ¡°You made that last one up.¡±

    ¡°I absolutely did not,¡± the AI responded, smiling faintly. She tore her eyes away from the relic in the case long enough to look at Agatha questioningly. ¡°I have no idea what that is.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s empowered by light. Consumes it and creates darkness. It¡¯s changed hands a few times over the last couple of decades,¡± Agatha said, her own gaze returning to the relic¡¯s haft to trace the patterns of runes inscribed along it. It was fascinating work. ¡°I kept track¡ªit was interesting enough that I thought I might grab it eventually to see what it could do¡ªbut the witch who had it fell off my radar a year or so ago.¡±

    Without waiting for Eliza to respond, she reached over and held her hand over the case¡¯s latch, focusing her magical senses. As she expected, there was some sort of enchantment on the case¡ªit was hidden well enough that a lesser practitioner would likely not have noticed it, but there was a tell-tale absence of ambient energy that indicated something under an obscuring effect. Purple wisps of energy, edged in black, probed at it for a moment before Agatha decided that it was probably just linked to a simple alarm, rather than anything particularly nasty.

    She paused and looked hopefully back at Eliza, eyebrows raised in a question, her lower lip stuck out. The AI sighed and rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine, but only if you¡¯re not going to set anything off.¡±

    ¡°Aperi ianuam,¡± Agatha incanted, a thread of purple-black energy penetrating the latch and dispelling the enchantment protecting it. The glass panels rattled in their frames as the whole case shuddered, then there was a click and the door swung open. Agatha reached in and plucked the dark metal staff from its resting place. She took a step back and swished it through the air experimentally, a small current of power trickling into her hand as the relic drank greedily of the ambient energy of the brightly lit room around them.

    ¡°It kind of looks like it¡¯ll transform you into an evil magical girl,¡± Eliza remarked.

    ¡°Am I not already an evil magical girl?¡± Agatha asked, grinning at the AI as she brandished the relic. Holding it out to one side, she flexed its power and a corona of energy appeared around the head of the staff, brilliant blue edged in white.

    ¡°She means like Sailor Moon and, yeah, it definitely does,¡± Ava said, grinning lopsidedly. ¡°Y te castigar¨¦ en el nombre de la Luna!¡±

    ¡°I will punish you in the name of the moon?¡± Agatha translated, sounding a little puzzled. ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of Sailor Moon before. It¡¯s a cartoon, right?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know Sailor Moon?¡± the assassin asked dubiously.

    ¡°Cut her some slack. Agatha¡¯s positively ancient,¡± Eliza said, an impish smile creasing her features. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know what the kids are into these days.¡±

    The witch shot her a look. ¡°Says the girl who¡¯s a week old.¡±

    Eliza rolled her eyes. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re wasting time,¡± she said, clapping her hands together. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving.¡±

    Despite her words, the three of them spent the next fifteen minutes seemingly wandering the sanctum at random, exploring its halls and rooms. It wasn¡¯t until they returned to the first floor, heading down a short side corridor off the circular main foyer, that Eliza made a small sound of triumph and pointed to the large set of double-doors ahead of them. The doors were emblazoned with a large circular glyph¡ªsimilar to the one enclosed by the window on the top floor of the building.

    ¡°¡­You had no idea where the doors were, did you?¡± Agatha asked, clicking her tongue in a mild rebuke.

    Eliza shrugged. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, we¡¯re here now,¡± she said, looking back at Ava and Agatha. ¡°Okay, so as discussed, the door leads straight through to the back of the library. Agatha, I¡¯ll need you to keep an eye out for any magical protections I don¡¯t know about. Once we go through, we¡¯ll be in a small chamber with more doors in it. The Ancient One¡¯s personal collection is just past there. It¡¯s about two in the morning there, so everyone should be asleep. We go in, get the book we need, then come straight back. Quickly but quietly.¡±

    The small chamber that the doors opened up into was of significantly older stone construction, a stark contrast to the polished wood and marble of the New York sanctum. In the centre of the room was a waist-high pedestal, though the stand upon it sat empty. Two more sets of double doors, presumably leading to the London and Hong Kong sanctums, sat around it, and one side of the chamber opened up into the library proper.

    Eliza moved forward, pausing for a moment to look longingly at the empty central pedestal. ¡°Damn,¡± she said quietly.

    ¡°Something missing?¡± Agatha murmured curiously. It was pretty clear that the AI had expected there to be something there.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Eliza responded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Beyond the initial chamber was a long room lined with books bound to hexagonal frameworks¡ªthe Ancient One¡¯s personal collection. Ava ghosted ahead, checking to make sure they wouldn¡¯t be disturbed, while Eliza headed to one of the odd ¡®shelves¡¯. Agatha glanced around, sending subtle tendrils of magic out to feel for any traps or alarms, but found nothing.

    Eliza hesitated for a moment before unbinding a book and flicking through it. After a moment, she carefully put it back before pulling out the next one. Agatha glanced at her, catching her eye. ¡°I don¡¯t remember which slot it was in. These all look the same and I can¡¯t read the titles,¡± the AI hissed under her breath. ¡°Give me a sec.¡±

    The third book she checked was the right one, several pages clearly torn from the spine. Ava returned a moment later, flickering back into reality next to them as Eliza clutched her prize and started back the way they¡¯d come. The success of the mission, however, was interrupted by the faint sound of doors opening and closing. Eliza straightened, flashing Agatha and Ava warning glances as they stepped back out into the middle of the room, looking back the way they¡¯d come in.

    In the middle of the small stone chamber, just in front of the empty pedestal, a group of three sorcerers now waited, forming a barrier between them and their escape back to New York. They¡¯d obviously entered from one of the other doors, coming from either the London or Hong Kong sanctum.

    One was a darker-skinned man in green robes¡ªKarl Mordo, from Eliza¡¯s description of him¡ªwhile the larger, Asian?featured man wearing red was clearly Wong, the librarian. In the middle of the two men, however, was a thin bald woman that could hardly have been anyone but the Ancient One herself, her robes cut in orange and yellow. While the masters flanking her were standing in ready combat stances, the Sorcerer Supreme¡¯s body language was relaxed, almost casual. Interestingly, it seemed as though one of her arms was in a sling, bound tight against her body.

    ¡°We can¡¯t afford a fight. Get past and get out,¡± Eliza said quietly, her voice issuing from the collar at Agatha¡¯s neck rather than her vibranium body. Even if that hadn¡¯t been the original plan, Agatha would have agreed¡ªany extended encounter here would mean potentially attracting the attention of even more sorcerers.

    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t ideal,¡± Eliza¡¯s illusion-covered form said, raising her voice slightly as she looked over at the group of sorcerers. ¡°Hi, Tilda.¡±

    ¡°I expect not. Eliza, wasn¡¯t it?¡± The Ancient One asked, smiling almost pleasantly. She gestured with her hand, indicating the book the AI held in her hand. ¡°I¡¯d rather prefer you put that back where you found it, if you please.¡±

    The AI looked nonplussed. ¡°Ah. You know who I am. That¡¯s a shame.¡± She glanced to either side, briefly looking at her two companions. ¡°I was really hoping I could pin this on Wanda if we got caught.¡±

    ¡°Surrender what you have stolen,¡± Mordo demanded, glowering at them. ¡°If you cooperate, you may yet live.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with,¡± Eliza replied as she jammed the stolen book into her chest, burying it in her body.

    ¡°As you wish,¡± the Ancient One said, gesturing widely with her one hand, the air rippling and fracturing as she summoned an aperture to the Mirror Dimension large enough that it cut across the entire room. Another flick of her hand and the glass-like facets shot forward, intent on engulfing them.

    Agatha raised the Dark Sceptre and darted forward, brandishing it like a club as she summoned forth the energy it had absorbed since she¡¯d liberated it from its case. There was a burst of blue energy as it impacted the sorcerer¡¯s spell, white lines zigzagging across the facets of the portal for a moment before the entire thing was dispelled. Motes of twinkling energy fluttered through the air as Agatha, Eliza and Ava lunged forward, intent on getting past the enemy line.

    Eliza¡¯s hands shifted and transformed into the screaming-face weapons she¡¯d based on the designs from Wakanda, spitting sizzling blue and orange bolts at the sorcerers. Mordo and the Ancient One brought up shields, deflecting the blasts as they moved to intercept.

    Threads of purple and black magic formed a lash in Agatha¡¯s free hand and she whipped it forward at Wong as a distraction as she ran toward him. The sorcerer reacted quickly, raising a thick wand with horned heads on each end to catch the attack, dispelling her magic with a crack of energy as the eyes on the relic¡¯s heads glowed. This was a relatively confined space, much tighter than Agatha was comfortable with¡ªeven the sorcerers didn¡¯t have a lot of room to manoeuvre. It¡¯d be very easy for someone to get a lucky shot in. Agatha shifted her grip as she resolved to do something about that.

    The light around them disappeared, sucked into the Dark Sceptre and casting the area into almost total darkness¡ªEliza and Ava both had night vision that would let them see, and as the bearer of the sceptre Agatha had no problems at all manoeuvring through the darkness it caused. The sorcerers, of course, weren¡¯t content to remain blinded, immediately summoning burning shields and mandalas to their hands that cast light as a side-effect, but even those were limited by the oppressive magical darkness that now blanketed the room.

    Agatha darted to the side, outside of the meagre range of their light, circling around the long way toward the door to the New York sanctum. She focused on her own movements, her own way out¡ªAva could handle herself, and it wasn¡¯t like Eliza was even physically here. The AI might be annoyed if she lost her new vibranium toy, but Agatha was much more concerned with keeping herself alive and safe in the immediate.

    That initial burst of movement had her breathing hard already, her legs burning¡ªshe did not do enough cardio for this. Nor did she like relying on a relic that she had had little chance to properly examine and experiment with, but the more she relied on it the more it appeared as though she needed to rely on it. The more she dipped into her own expertise, the harder it would be to maintain the deception that she was a younger, inexperienced witch rather than her usual exceptional self. She would do what she had to to get out of here, of course, but she wouldn¡¯t throw away her disguise unnecessarily if she could help it. Agatha skittered toward the exit carefully, trying to avoid notice. Behind her, orange light flared, Eliza swearing as she fired off more energy blasts.

 Chapter 55

    Almost an hour later, Agatha was gently tugging at the vibranium nanotech harness, looking for a seam or join she could unclip. After a moment, the thin metal straps disconnected themselves, losing cohesiveness and running together to form an inert, black-silver ball resting in her palm. The witch dropped the metal sphere on the table bedside her bed and sighed as she shrugged out of her long coat. She inspected the rich blue fabric with a critical eye, noting the large areas that had been shredded and burnt by a close call with one of the sorcerers¡¯ spells. That was a shame¡ªshe had liked this coat.

    She tossed the ruined garment into the corner of the small room while she checked the rest of her clothes over for further damage. Her white blouse was unmarred, though a little rumpled and sweaty. Her mother¡¯s locket was still hanging in its place at her throat¡ªshe¡¯d have been annoyed if she had lost that. It seemed as though the coat was the only casualty of their little mission.

    They¡¯d come right back to San Francisco after escaping Kamar-taj. With Agatha running interference on Mirror Dimension shenanigans, it hadn¡¯t been too difficult¡ªAva was essentially an outside context problem for the sorcerers and they hadn¡¯t been prepared at all for what Eliza¡¯s vibranium form was capable of. The witch had little doubt that they could have killed the Sorcerer Supreme right then and there, had the AI wished to do so.

    Agatha had to admit, when the spells had started flying, she¡¯d had to tightly clamp down on her desire to lash out with lethal force¡ªor deliberately let herself get blasted so she could syphon off some of the sorcerers¡¯ power. She might have been able to convince Eliza she had no choice, but it seemed unlikely. A blatant power-grab might have set the AI off, undoing all Agatha¡¯s careful work cultivating their relationship. Instead, they¡¯d focused on disabling and distracting, then rushed headlong through the door to the New York sanctum. From there, it was a hurried flight to the pre-prepared ritual space that Agatha had set up to summon the entrance to the Ways, where their pursuers could not follow.

    Once they¡¯d arrived back at the warehouse, Agatha had dashed off to her private room, earning some mild looks of surprise from the other two. While they¡¯d been fleeing, however, she¡¯d been planning¡­ and now seemed like an ideal time to finally close the net.

    Eliza was lonely. Though the AI didn¡¯t necessarily realise it, she really did wear her heart on her sleeve. Agatha could see the longing¡ªthe desperation¡ªevery time a little bit of comradery developed between them. She wanted friends. More than that, she was extremely receptive to being flirted with, starved for contact as she was, and Agatha was no stranger to seduction. It would hardly be the first time she¡¯d used her body to get what she wanted. Sure, Eliza wasn¡¯t exactly human, but Agatha had had congress with far stranger entities in the depths of her search for power and knowledge.

    So far, however, Eliza had always shied back a little. Agatha was frustratingly close to a breakthrough with her, but the AI was being difficult. Eliza saw herself as a mostly good¡ªif pragmatic¡ªperson, and as long as there was a bomb collar around Agatha¡¯s neck the power dynamic between them was utterly unbalanced in a massive way, which meant she¡¯d never feel comfortable acting on the tension that the witch had been cultivating between them.

    It was a three-step plan. First, get the bomb collar removed. Then, use Eliza¡¯s need for human contact to gain her confidence. And finally, make her think it was better to let Agatha absorb Wanda¡¯s power as the Scarlet Witch than to let it go to waste. From there¡­ well, Agatha hadn¡¯t chosen a goal to aim for after that just yet, so it all depended on where her whims took her. Maybe she¡¯d keep the AI close for a time¡­ she wasn¡¯t unpleasant company, after all, and a continued relationship could be useful.

    ¡°Agatha?¡± Eliza¡¯s vibranium body¡ªthe BARF hologram that had disguised her as Wanda gone¡ªappeared in the open doorway.

    The witch had noticed how attached the AI was to the body. If she wanted to talk, she could easily do so through the collar around Agatha¡¯s neck, but since she¡¯d gotten the nanotech she seemed to vastly prefer ¡®in person¡¯ conversations wherever possible, which was precisely what Agatha had been hoping for here. She stared at Eliza for a moment, getting into the mental space necessary for her little act.

    ¡°See? I told you it¡¯d be fine,¡± the AI said. ¡°I mean, it could have gone better, but it could have been a lot worse, too. We got the book, all of us made it back, and we¡¯re safe under your wards again.¡± Eliza stuck out her arms as she walked slowly into the room, as though she was stretching muscles that didn¡¯t exist. She grinned, reaching into her chest with one hand to withdraw the Book of Cagliostro before offering it to the witch. ¡°How long is it going to take to use this to track Kaecilius? Do you need anything else to get started?¡±

    Showtime.

    Agatha tensed her muscles, forcing herself to shake slightly as she started breathing harder. ¡°Can you just¡­ back off for a minute, Liz?¡± she snapped, her voice quavering as she held up her hands, warding off the offered book.

    Eliza blinked, taken aback. ¡°Agatha?¡±

    The witch made a show of trying to calm herself, shoulders trembling as she clenched her fists. Blinking repeatedly, it only took a moment to turn on the waterworks, causing tears to leak freely from the corners of her eyes. ¡°We could have died there, Liz, and this fucking thing on my neck, it feels like any second I might make a wrong move and¡ª¡± she cut herself off with a sniff before taking a deep, shuddering breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. Please. Just¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey¡­ Hey! It¡¯s okay,¡± Eliza said, reaching out hesitantly with one hand to touch her on the shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re good. You¡¯re okay.¡±

    Agatha sniffed again, scrubbing furiously at her eyes with the back of a hand. ¡°¡­Sorry, Liz. I didn¡¯t mean to snap like that. I¡¯m a mess. I¡¯ll be okay in a minute. Can you just¡­ I need a minute. Please?¡±

    Eliza stared at her for a moment, her expression conflicted. ¡°Agatha¡­ Ugh. Fucking hell. I¡¯m sorry. I know this must be a nightmare¡ªI¡¯d be going absolutely crazy if I was in your position. I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve been pushing you too hard. You just seemed so¡­ I don¡¯t know. Like you still had it all together. I didn¡¯t realise you were¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I get it, you¡¯re just doing what you feel like you have to do. You¡¯re trying to save the world, after all.¡± Make her feel even more guilty, play to her ego, lead her gently, gently, gently¡­

    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ fuck. I don¡¯t want to keep doing this. I really want to be able to trust you. I think we¡¯ve worked really well together so far, and you¡¯re right¡ªwe¡¯re trying to save the world. You¡¯re incentivised to help me. I just¡­ I know things about you that made me think you were too dangerous to trust,¡± Eliza said, notes of regret and shame warring in her tone. ¡°But now that I¡¯m thinking about it¡­ you''ve been around for more than three hundred years, right? And it¡¯s not like you¡¯ve ever tried to take over or destroy the world or anything.¡±

    And there it was. Perfect. Now all Agatha needed to do was let her rationalise it to herself. The witch gave another semi-performative sniff before letting out a huff of amusement. ¡°That just seems like it¡¯d be a whole lot of work.¡±

    ¡°The only actual bad thing I know you¡¯ve done is kill your mother and her coven, but¡­ that was mostly just self-defence, wasn¡¯t it? They were going to execute you.¡±

    The witch drooped her shoulders slightly to feign a small amount of guilt and shame, eyes downcast. ¡°It was my fault. My biggest problem has always been not knowing when to stop. I got in over my head and they were going to kill me for it. I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t want to, not really. But I didn¡¯t have any other choice.¡± Not completely true, but close enough, and close enough to the AI¡¯s feelings about her own actions to make them feel even more connected.

    Eliza glanced to the side, where the Black Book stood on its stand, glimmering with hellish energy. ¡°You do have the Darkhold. It¡¯s corruptive. That¡¯s a problem. But you seem to be handling it a lot better than¡­ someone else might.¡± She gestured to Agatha¡¯s hands, pointing out the black stains of the book¡¯s influence that darkened the witch¡¯s fingers, and Agatha had to suppress a small flinch, pushing down the fleeting moment of emptiness that welled up inside of her. Would the AI be so unconcerned if she knew the price she¡¯d paid for the power of the tome? ¡°You were planning on killing Wanda, but I feel like that¡¯s a pretty hypocritical thing to hang all this on at this point. You¡¯re risking your life here, too. It¡¯s not fair to keep you on a leash like this.¡±

    Eliza stepped a little closer to her. Agatha stayed silent but raised her eyes, looking up at her with barely-concealed hope. She held her breath, straightening up, baring her neck¡ªand the collar¡ªto the AI. The collar was¡­ comfortable was the wrong word, but it wasn¡¯t physically uncomfortable despite how snugly it wrapped around her throat. Still, the feeling as there was a click and Agatha felt it loosen was difficult to describe. Elation. Triumph.

    As Eliza reached in toward her neck to remove the deactivated collar, Agatha¡¯s own hand darted up to grab hers. She squeezed gently, pressing the AI¡¯s cold, rigid fingers against her cheek. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said breathlessly, looking deeply into the AI¡¯s eyes. ¡°You won¡¯t regret this. I promise.¡±

    Eliza froze and they stood there for a moment, Agatha¡¯s breathing still slightly irregular as she maintained eye contact and kept the AI¡¯s hand pressed to her cheek. Once she let go, she let her fingertips ¡®accidentally¡¯ graze a gentle line down the AI¡¯s wrist as her hand moved away. Touch sensitive.

    The AI finished retrieving the collar. ¡°Kaecilius can wait. We¡¯re safe. We¡¯re not in a rush. Forget about the book for now. We¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow.¡± The AI fidgeted slightly, both hands clutching the inactive device. ¡°You need some time to decompress. Just¡­ relax, okay? I¡¯ll leave you be.¡± She turned and started back toward the door.

    ¡°Liz?¡± Agatha called after her, feigning a bit of uncertainty in her tone. The AI stopped, turning to look back at her questioningly. She paused for dramatic effect, biting her lip and putting on a show of hesitating. After a few moments, she took a deep breath, exhaling long and loud, then grinned. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna go ahead and throw this out there, but¡­ you said you want to trust me, right?¡± Watching the AI¡¯s reaction carefully, she reached up and starting to unbutton her blouse.

    Eliza¡¯s eyes grew wider and she stiffened. ¡°Uh. What are you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Agatha cut her off. Buttons undone, she shrugged out of the blouse and let it fall to the floor, then started to remove her skirt. ¡°I can think of a fun way to decompress and help build a bit more trust at the same time¡­ I mean, if you¡¯re interested, that is?¡±

    The AI had frozen completely, dead silent.

    Agatha suppressed the urge to make a ¡®blue screen of death¡¯ joke. ¡°I¡¯ve had that collar on for all this time, with zero privacy. I am pent up. It always seemed like it¡¯d be a little awkward and uncomfortable for the both of us if I took care of business while you were around my throat like that. But there¡¯re still cameras all over the place, right?¡± she said, gesturing expansively to indicate the room in general. There was an implication there, but subtly wasn¡¯t always the strongest play, so she underlined it to keep Eliza on the back foot. ¡°If you¡¯re going to be watching me anyway¡­ I know I¡¯d enjoy it a lot more if you joined in on the fun. I much prefer an active participant over a voyeur.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡± Eliza spoke haltingly, almost at a complete loss. Her eyes roved over Agatha¡¯s body. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    The witch gestured with a hand, the clasp of her bra coming undone with a minor application of telekinesis. She let it fall from her body to join the rest of her clothes on the floor, deliberately shifting her weight to stand in such a way as to emphasise the curves of her body. ¡°Besides, that body of yours is still brand-new, isn¡¯t it?¡± she said, hungrily eyeing Eliza right back. ¡°I think I¡¯d like to be the one to break it in.¡±

    The AI took a faltering, hesitant step forward and an impish grin curved the witch¡¯s lips. She gestured once more and the door swung shut.

    --

    Several hours later, Agatha lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering if her legs still worked right. After more than three hundred years, there weren¡¯t that many truly novel experiences left in the world, but even Agatha had been caught by surprise by some of Eliza¡¯s more¡­ creative uses of her mouldable, form-changing body. The witch wasn¡¯t sure she was ever going to be able to look at a vibrator the same way ever again.

    She let her head roll to the side, reaching up with a hand to push the bird¡¯s nest her hair had turned into out of the way. ¡°You know, Liz,¡± she said, pausing to take a breath. She felt like she¡¯d just run a marathon. Five marathons. Ugh, she was going to be so sore in the morning. ¡°If I¡¯m honest, I wasn¡¯t quite expecting you to blow my back out like that. And I thought I was pent up.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Eliza said lightly, a smile in her voice. ¡°I¡¯ve been told I can be very enthusiastic.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement. It¡¯s a little bit of a shame you can¡¯t¡­ finish properly, though.¡±

    ¡°This was a little sudden and I haven¡¯t really explored how my code interprets pleasure signals,¡± the AI said quickly, looking back at her with a suddenly serious expression. ¡°It still felt good. Don¡¯t think for a second that I didn¡¯t enjoy myself. I did. A lot.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, of course you did. I¡¯m fantastic in bed,¡± the witch said airily, waving her hand in the air in a dismissive gesture.

    Eliza smiled briefly at that before a bit of anxiety returned to her tone. ¡°I haven¡¯t spent a lot of time tinkering with¡­ well, less useful things. It just wasn¡¯t a priority. When I have some spare time I¡¯ll work on replicating the texture of skin a bit better, too. I¡¯ll be better prepared next time.¡± The AI paused for a moment, a cautiously hopeful look on her face. ¡°I mean, if there is a next time¡­?¡±

    Agatha let out a deep, throaty chuckle. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s definitely going to be a next time. And a time after that, and a time after that. I¡¯m far from done with you, Liz.¡±

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t expect this. I think I needed it. Like, really needed it,¡± the AI said. Her eyes dropped and she turned slightly away.

    Agatha still found the way she moved rather fascinating. Eliza was an AI¡ªas much as it was easy to think of her body as her body, she was operating at a different level of remove from it. Agatha¡¯s assumption was that it would essentially be like manipulating a puppet, a doll, and yet somehow, even without muscles or nerves, Eliza¡¯s body language still somehow managed to work just like a normal person¡¯s.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been having a lot of trouble slowing down. It feels like I¡¯m always running at a hundred percent. I¡¯m hyperaware of everything, all of the time, and it¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s a lot. I get in my head and run through every scenario a billion times and I get worked up and I feel like I might have¡­¡±

    ¡°Might have¡­?¡±

    Eliza took a breath and, for a moment, Agatha thought she was going to demur. Avoid further vulnerability. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve been acting really stupid¡ªscrewing everything up¡ªbecause I don¡¯t like myself.¡±

    There was a moment of silence, then Agatha scooted over slightly, pressing gently against the AI¡¯s vibranium body. ¡°Well, I like you, Liz. I hope that counts for something.¡±

    ¡°It does. It really, really does.¡±

    ¡°Although¡­ I did get the feeling you were a little distracted there for a while?¡±

    Eliza looked stricken, a flash of guilt passing across her features. ¡°You noticed that? I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°Thinking of someone else? A certain Widow, perhaps?¡±

    ¡°No! No. I wasn¡¯t¡­¡± The AI shook her head. ¡°I mean, I do think about her a lot. I miss her. We were close. But that doesn¡¯t have anything to do with it.¡±

    Agatha shrugged. ¡°Eh. Doesn¡¯t bother me, Liz.¡± A lazy, wicked smile spread across her face and she leaned in a little closer. ¡°I mean, if you want, next time I could use an illusion to¡ª¡±

    Eliza stiffened and pulled away. ¡°Absolutely not. Wow. Sorry. No. Just no,¡± the AI said. She got up from the bed, taking a step away before turning to look back at the witch, an uncomfortable expression on her face. ¡°I enjoyed being with you, Agatha. Natasha is¡­ was¡­ what we had is gone. I don¡¯t need to remind myself of it.¡±

    ¡°Fair,¡± Agatha said, shooting her an apologetic look. ¡°Sorry, Liz. Didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t. It¡¯s fine. I needed to get up anyway, we¡¯re about to have a visitor.¡± She gestured vaguely with a hand. ¡°I was distracted because I got a call while we were¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have answered, but it was Scott Lang.¡±

    ¡°Oh! He talk old man Pym around?¡±

    ¡°It seems like it. They want to bring Ava in. Pym has tests he wants to run,¡± Eliza said, sounding pleased. Agatha nodded and winced as she pulled herself out of bed, carefully testing her legs before she put her weight on them. A little wobbly, but workable.

    Eliza held up a hand. ¡°Oh, no, you don¡¯t need to come. Just rest up.¡±

    Agatha shot her a flat look, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°Liz, either I¡¯m in¡ªall the way¡ªor I¡¯m not. Honestly? I¡¯m done with this half-assed, arms-length shit.¡± She blew a strand of errant hair out of her face. ¡°Are we a team, or not?¡± There was an underlying question there, one that Agatha hoped to force a positive answer to: Do you trust me?

    The AI paused, then gave a shallow nod, a small smile curving her lips. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re a team.¡± Too easy. ¡°Alright, but you¡¯ve gotta get dressed fast, Scott¡¯ll be here any minute.¡±

    Agatha allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction as she gathered her clothes. Now that she had her in, she was going to squeeze it for all it was worth. She wanted to know everything. What Kaecilius¡¯s actual plan was that the AI was so intent on thwarting. The AI¡¯s other plans and schemes, like what Beck was working on with the Hand ¡®test subjects¡¯. More than that, the witch was intensely curious as to how Eliza came by her knowledge¡ªthere was so much that she seemed to know that she really shouldn¡¯t be able to.

    She had her suspicions, of course. Agatha hadn¡¯t originally thought that the Scarlet Witch would be aligned with one of the typical elemental signs¡ªit was explicit in the Darkhold that the Scarlet Witch needed no coven, so why wouldn¡¯t she be a unique generalist, rather than specialised like every other witch? But almost everything Agatha had seen so far would make complete sense if Wanda Maximoff was a divination witch. If that was the case, she was an intensely powerful one, given the level of detail that Eliza often had available.

    Once Agatha had finished getting dressed, Eliza re-applied her BARF Wanda hologram to conceal her appearance before the two of them headed over to meet Ava near her treatment chamber. The assassin was dressed in her grey sweats, a large gym bag at her feet¡ªalready packed, it seemed.

    As they approached, she looked between the two of them critically for a moment, then nodded to herself, one of her lopsided grins ghosting across her face. ¡°I was wondering how long it was going to take before the two of you got that out of your systems.¡±

    If it were possible for the AI to involuntarily blush, Agatha was pretty sure she would have. The witch shot her an impish grin, wiping the corner of her mouth with her thumb. Eliza mimicked clearing her throat. ¡°Scott¡¯s coming in now. You ready to go? The sooner Pym can start looking into your condition, the better.¡± She shot the assassin a significant glance. Ava nodded in response, tilting her head warningly. Neither of them said it out loud, but Agatha knew an ¡®I told you so¡¯ and ¡®shut up¡¯ when she saw one.

    Just then, Scott Lang walked through the side door of the warehouse, dressed down in jeans and a black t-shirt and led by one of the Iron Legion drones. As they approached, the man gestured to the robot, brow creased in a frown. ¡°Stark really doesn¡¯t know you have these?¡± he asked, a little bit of doubt in his tone. ¡°I feel like I would notice something like that going missing.¡±

    Eliza smiled warmly at him. ¡°Stark isn¡¯t as smart as he thinks he is. You know what these rich people are like.¡±

    Scott shrugged, acknowledging the point. He glanced over at Ava, taking in the bag at her feet. ¡°Hey!¡± he said with an easy smile, then paused as he looked at Agatha. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met?¡±

    ¡°Agatha Harkness,¡± she replied, grinning. ¡°I keep this one out of trouble.¡± As she said it, she leaned in to Eliza and lightly slapped her on the ass with an open palm.

    ¡°Agatha,¡± the AI said, slightly mortified. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t take her anywhere.¡±

    Scott chuckled and gave Agatha a little wave. ¡°I¡¯m Scott. Nice to meet you.¡± He looked back at Eliza questioningly. ¡°The two of you don¡¯t want to come along? You totally can, it¡¯d be fine.¡±

    Eliza looked thoughtful for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a while, right?¡±

    ¡°The preliminary scans will take a few days, at least, yeah. Need to establish baselines. After that, though, no idea,¡± he said with a nonchalant shrug. ¡°Hank has plenty of space at the house. Ava can stay as long as she needs to, so long as she can deal with living with a slightly-grumpy old man.¡±

    The AI gave him a tight smile and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll drop in to check up on things a bit later on, if that¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve¡ª¡± she hesitated a moment, glancing at Agatha as she reconsidered her words. ¡°We¡¯ve got other things going on at the moment that we really can¡¯t step away from.¡±

    Ava shot the AI an exaggeratedly sceptical look, her eyes flicking to Agatha for a moment as well. The witch just grinned, coyly shrugging a shoulder. ¡°Saving the world, right?¡± the assassin asked.

    Eliza nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Stay with Pym, as long as it takes, and please try not to murder him. The quantum tunnel will probably take some time to build. Be patient.¡±

    The assassin looked like she was going to say something snarky, but bit back her initial response. ¡°I can do patient. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Ava¡¯s eyes unfocused a little as she replayed the words that had just left her mouth in her mind again. She let out a little laugh. ¡°I will be, won¡¯t I? I¡¯ll be fine. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying that.¡±

    ¡°You will. I promise.¡± Eliza hesitated a moment. ¡°Scott, with the quantum tunnel¡­ I know Hank knows what he¡¯s doing, and you will find Janet down there, but¡­ don¡¯t linger, okay? There are other things down in the Quantum Realm. Dangerous things.¡±

    He looked at her, squinting a little in confusion. ¡°Well, that¡¯s ominous. What kind of things?¡±

    Eliza paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts, then glanced between Scott and Ava. ¡°Look, I know lots of things I¡¯m not really supposed to be able to know. Ava¡ªyou can back that up, right?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know everything, even though you like to say that you do,¡± the assassin said with a shrug. ¡°Still. You know a lot. You¡¯re worried?¡±

    The AI nodded. ¡°I only know a little about what¡¯s down there, but I know it¡¯s¡­ potentially end-of-the-world dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Ava said. She looked at Scott, her tone turning firm. ¡°Listen to her.¡±

    Scott grimaced a little, but nodded. ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll be careful.¡± He reached into a side pouch and pulled out a coin-sized metal object¡ªa triskelion-styled shuriken with a small red jewel in the centre¡ªthen gestured towards Ava¡¯s treatment chamber. ¡°May I?¡± Eliza nodded and Scott tossed the object at the glass chamber. As it made contact, there was a faint wooshing sound as the entire, 20-foot room almost instantly shrank down to roughly the size of a golf ball.

    Agatha inhaled sharply, then glanced away and smoothed her skirt, as if she hadn¡¯t been caught by surprise. Eliza had already looked in her direction, though, a small grin curving the AI¡¯s lips. Agatha had thought Scott Lang had shrunk last time he had been here, but that was¡­ what was that?! That was technological? He had barely had to do anything at all. How would you even defend yourself against that? Suddenly, Agatha understood why Eliza was so insistent she didn¡¯t want anything to do with Hank Pym or his technology.

    Scott picked the miniaturised chamber up and looked expectantly at Ava. ¡°Ready to go?¡± The assassin nodded, taking a deep breath as she stepped toward him.

    Eliza raised a hand hesitantly. ¡°Ava?¡± she said. The other woman turned to look at her. ¡°I just wanted to say, before you go¡­ thank you. For everything. I really appreciate everything you did to help us out.¡±

    Ava laughed, a touch of disbelief in her tone, and shook her head. ¡°I should be the one thanking you. You¡¯re the only reason I¡¯ve gotten this chance.¡±

    The AI smiled tightly. ¡°Once it¡¯s done and you¡¯re stable¡­ Look, you deserve a solid shot at a real life, but if you did want keep helping, I could really use your skills.¡±

    ¡°You can count on it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make any hasty decisions just yet,¡± Eliza said, holding up both hands in a deflecting gesture. ¡°Just see how you feel once you¡¯re stable. I¡¯ll always be just a phone call away.¡±

 Chapter 56

    ¡°We need to make a decision,¡± Tony said, addressing the room.

    Everyone had assembled for this conversation, the group loosely gathered near the system hosting Wanda-3. The AI was ¡®there¡¯ as well, her holographic representation hovering over the table to show she was active and listening. The ¡®science team¡¯, as I¡¯d been thinking of them, were clustered near Tony. Killmonger and Bruce lounged casually on chairs, while Shuri idly tapped her fingers on the edge of the AI¡¯s table interface, T¡¯Challa standing stiffly nearby. He always looked like he was on edge¡ªI don¡¯t remember that being a thing, so it was probably my fault.

    Steve¡¯s body language was similarly tense, his arms folded defensively in front of his chest, his shoulders tight. He still wasn¡¯t happy, but him actually showing up meant he was at least willing to hear us out. Bucky was glued to his side, his own stance a little looser, but still with an undercurrent of tension. Clint and Carol were more relaxed, standing on opposite sides of the gathering, both leaning almost casually against the walls.

    Pietro had come over and pressed his shoulder against mine in an affectionate attempt to push me off balance¡ªit seemed like most residual annoyance or anger he had had at me excluding him from my decision-making process had been washed away during the conversation with Wanda-3. I was¡­ grateful. I was still feeling a bit fragile and having him there, being supportive, helped to shore up my resolve. Nat stood a few paces away, as well, shooting me a brief smile before settling in for the discussion. The two of us really, really had to have a proper conversation about our relationship and what we were to each other, but it could wait until after this whole crisis had been dealt with and we could talk with clearer heads.

    ¡°The basics are done,¡± said Tony, waving a hand for emphasis as he paced along the far end of the gathered group. ¡°Kill switch is in. Now we just need to decide how and when to hit Eliza.¡±

    Bruce leaned forward, chiming in to make it Tony¡¯s implication clearer. ¡°The longer we take, the more time we can spend prepping Wanda-3, but¡­¡±

    ¡°The more time Eliza has to fuck around and the more likely it is she hits us again first,¡± I said, finishing his sentence for him. He nodded.

    Steve frowned. ¡°We take as long as we need to make sure Wanda-3 can handle her without resorting to the kill switch. This doesn¡¯t have to be a suicide mission.¡± He tone was firm¡ªhe wanted no argument, but I knew he was going to be disappointed.

    ¡°No,¡± Wanda-3 spoke up. ¡°Whatever time we have we¡¯ll use as best we can, but we need to hit her as hard and fast as possible, before she has any chance to see this coming. She isn¡¯t going to suspect I exist. We have to take advantage of that, use the element of surprise before we lose it.¡±

    Steve exhaled sharply, a little bit of tightly-reined anger creeping into his tone. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve already decided what you want to do.¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t think we can risk her hitting us again,¡± Tony responded. ¡°This is our best shot, we can¡¯t afford to lose it.¡±

    Shuri looked up, shrugging as she met Steve¡¯s gaze. ¡°We could keep tweaking and adding things forever and still not be sure who would come out on top. If Eliza was still working with outdated technology it would be one thing, but we lost our technical edge the moment she stole it from us.¡±

    ¡°So you want to go after her now?¡± asked Carol.

    Tony nodded. ¡°As soon as possible, yeah. We should start planning how we¡¯re going to do this.¡±

    ¡°Where and how? You must have some ideas already,¡± Clint asked, stepping away from the wall to address Tony. ¡°The NEXUS?¡±

    ¡°Nah.¡± Killmonger was the one to respond, shaking his head as he spoke. ¡°We¡¯ve been talking that through. She moves too quickly. If we just release Wanda-3 into the internet it¡¯ll become a back-and-forth¡ªEliza¡¯ll drag it out and maybe buy herself enough time to work out what¡¯s going on. We don¡¯t want this to turn into a running battle. We need to get Wanda?3 in close enough for a knife fight.¡±

    Natasha looked thoughtful. ¡°Can we even do that? She¡¯s in a lot of systems.¡±

    Tony tagged back in. ¡°She can move through systems and manipulate them through wireless connections, but we¡¯ve been looking over how Wanda-3 is structured and as far as we can tell she¡¯s like JARVIS, she does have some central core processes that are ¡®her¡¯ that can¡¯t be copied.¡±

    ¡°So she has a soul,¡± Steve said bluntly, looking pointedly in Wanda-3¡¯s direction.

    She didn¡¯t rise to the bait and I bit my tongue as well. It felt a little bit like Steve was grasping at straws at this point, trying to find any excuse or reason to hold back and give Wanda-3 more time. I didn¡¯t blame him, honestly. Still, the ¡®soul¡¯ argument wasn¡¯t one that was likely to hold a lot of sway with this crowd. Almost everyone here¡ªexcepting Shuri, I was fairly sure¡ªhad killed plenty of other people before. Starting a back and forth about the ¡®sanctity of life¡¯ or whatever wouldn¡¯t be productive. It was also a little bit hypocritical, coming from a literal former soldier who¡¯d seen front-line combat.

    ¡°Was that what I said?¡± Tony asked rhetorically, looking around. ¡°I feel like that¡¯s not what I said.¡±

    Bucky grunted. ¡°I dunno, it sounded like that¡¯s exactly what you said.¡±

    ¡°Bucky¡­¡± I sighed.

    Tony waved the two of them off, bulling through the flimsy argument to return to his previous point. ¡°Soul or not, what I meant was she¡¯s always ¡®in¡¯ a specific place, she can¡¯t just create copies of herself in whatever systems she wants.¡±

    Pietro glanced to the side, shooting me a brief look of confusion before he turned back to Tony. ¡°Wait, why not? Isn''t she just code? A computer program?¡±

    ¡°What we are is a lot more complicated than that. More complicated than it¡¯s worth trying to get into,¡± Wanda-3 responded.

    Bruce grimaced, running a hand through his hair then dropping forward to rest his elbows on his knees. ¡°She¡¯s right. These AIs aren¡¯t like anything we¡¯ve worked with before. Honestly, sometimes it feels closer to biology than it is to normal computer science.¡±

    ¡°If it were that easy, I¡¯d have had backups of JARVIS,¡± Tony said with a shrug. ¡°Long story short, once you reach a certain point of complexity, even the best copying process starts to introduce errors and with something like Eliza or Wanda-3, it essentially becomes impossible.¡±

    ¡°Unless you have an Infinity Stone,¡± Natasha said.

    ¡°Right. Unless you have an Infinity Stone,¡± he acknowledged, shooting me a pointed look.

    Carol was nodding along slowly. Funnily enough, I realised that this plan had echoes of what she¡¯d described when she¡¯d talked about destroying the Kree Supreme Intelligence. ¡°So we need to get Wanda-3 directly into whatever system Eliza is using to host her core processes at the time,¡± she said. ¡°But that could be anything, right? How would we know?¡±

    ¡°And even if we did know which system she was in, she could just jump ship if she felt threatened,¡± Killmonger pointed out.

    While some of this was new information to me, it all seemed to align with what I remembered of Ultron. He¡¯d generally always used a ¡®main¡¯ body as an avatar to interact with the Avengers. Eliza was probably doing the same, just trying to be less obvious about it. ¡°She¡¯d want something defensible and mobile. I¡¯d bet cash money she¡¯s mostly using the suit she stole from Tony,¡± I said, feeling relatively confident. ¡°We didn¡¯t see it at all when she attacked us. She¡¯s saving it.¡±

    Steve¡¯s stance had loosened up a bit¡ªhe still looked unhappy, but the tactical talk was bringing him out of his shell a little bit. ¡°Alright. If we assume that¡¯s correct and she¡¯s using the suit, how would we get Wanda-3 in?¡±

    ¡°With a variable nanotech interface,¡± Shuri piped up, giving a self-satisfied smile. ¡°I have a design. We just need to get it into physical contact with the hardware and it¡¯ll make its own connection.¡±

    Bruce grimaced. ¡°Feels like it¡¯d be too obvious. I mean, she¡¯s not just going to sit there and let us plug something into her, right? She¡¯s smart. She¡¯ll abandon the suit the second we try.¡±

    ¡°Can we can trick her, somehow?¡± Natasha asked. ¡°Make it seem harmless?¡±

    I looked over toward Clint, a thoughtful expression on my face. ¡°Can you make it small enough to fit on an arrowhead?¡± I asked Shuri, still looking at the archer.

    The Wakandan princess frowned, but nodded. ¡°We could do that.¡±

    ¡°You want me to take the shot?¡± Clint asked, a surprised expression momentarily flickering across his face. ¡°I mean, I can. Just not what I expected.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not what she¡¯d expect, either. Out of all of us, I¡¯m pretty sure Clint is the one she feels least threatened by,¡± I said, looking around the room at the rest of the gathered heroes as I spoke. I glanced at him, brow creased apologetically. ¡°No offense, Clint.¡±

    He shot me a flat look. ¡°Some taken.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s sensible,¡± admitted Steve, a little grudgingly. ¡°Hitting her from range if possible makes the most sense and you¡¯re the best shot out of any of us. She¡¯s less likely to dodge or destroy an arrow than she is a missile shot by Tony. If we¡¯re really doing this, we might only have one shot and we need to make it count.¡±

    ¡°Well, we have a weapon, a target and a delivery system. Sounds like we¡¯re basically ready to go, then?¡± Tony said, looking around for signs of agreement. ¡°All we have to do now is work out how, when and where we want to hit her. Wanda, can you open a portal direct?¡±

    I thought about it. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can usually portal directly to people, but I¡¯m not sure if Eliza is ¡®people¡¯ enough for the magic to recognise her.¡±

    Steve shook his head. ¡°It¡¯d be better if we knew where she was beforehand anyway, so we can plan our approach. Dropping into an unknown location blind isn¡¯t a good idea,¡± he said firmly. ¡°Besides, she knows you can make portals. She¡¯ll have some sort of plan in place. We want to catch her off-guard, so we should try to hit her from an angle she¡¯s not expecting.¡±

    ¡°She has to have a base of operations of some kind, right?¡± Natasha asked, her expression thoughtful.

    ¡°A Stark facility?¡± I suggested. ¡°We know she¡¯s been using them, but there¡¯s a bunch so there¡¯s no specific obvious location, it¡¯d be convenient for resources, and some would have everything on-hand for servicing the drones and suit, right?¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Tony said with a nod. He pulled a face before continuing. ¡°I¡¯m not keen to put Pepper at risk, but she and Happy might be best placed to do some more poking around without raising alarm bells if Eliza notices them.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Eliza would find it particularly suspicious if the two of them were ¡®independently¡¯ investigating what¡¯s going on with Stark Industries. If she catches them, she might very firmly tell them to back off, but I really doubt she¡¯d hurt them unless she thought she had to,¡± I said.

    That was, after all, her MO so far¡ªshe tried to kill Tony because she had to, she hacked Wakanda because she had to, she attacked us because she had to. I didn¡¯t really want to speculate exactly what it might take before she felt like she had to do something drastic about Pepper and Happy, but I felt pretty certain they¡¯d be safe so long as they didn¡¯t push too hard.

    ¡°Holding pattern, then,¡± Steve said, a vague bit of relief creeping into his voice. He looked at Tony. ¡°We¡¯ll get in touch with Pepper via portal, then sit tight and wait until we have more information about where Eliza¡¯s operating from. In the meantime, you do everything you can to prep Wanda-3. We can¡ª¡±

    I blinked as a glimmer in the air near him grabbed my attention. A bare instant later, a small spark of orange energy flared brightly into being, expanding and spreading in a spinning vortex as a sorcerous portal manifested.

    The room exploded into motion as everyone reacted to the sudden intrusion¡ªdiving for cover, shouting in alarm, raising weapons. I summoned wisps of energy to my hands, swearing, a frisson of panic grabbing my heart in a vice-like grip. We couldn¡¯t handle another attack right now! It was too soon!

    Calmly, the Ancient One stepped through the portal into the room. Mordo and Wong followed a second later, their combat-ready stances decidedly less calm. They all looked a little worse for wear¡ªtheir robes were fresh, but they bore other signs that they¡¯d been in a fight not all that long ago. Certainly long enough for them to clean themselves up, but a shower and a change of robes wasn¡¯t enough to conceal the bruises, nor the bandage tightly wrapped around Mordo¡¯s left forearm, just barely visibly peeking out from his sleeve, or the palm-sized plaster covering a cut along the side of Wong¡¯s face. The Eye of Agamotto hung around the Sorcerer Supreme¡¯s neck.

    ¡°T¡¯Challa! Stand down!¡± Steve had gotten his feet under him first¡ªhe¡¯d spun into a low crouch, drawing his shield from his back to interpose it between himself and whatever threat may have emerged from the portal. When he¡¯d realised no attack was incoming, he¡¯d immediately switched targets to the Wakandan prince, managing to catch him a scant instant before he pounced on the intruders.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± T¡¯Challa demanded. He wasn¡¯t wearing the Panther habit, but I noticed him flexing his fingers at his sides as if they were claws.

    ¡°Our apologies for intruding unannounced, Prince T¡¯Challa,¡± the Ancient One said, inclining her head in a shallow bow. ¡°I¡¯m called the Ancient One. With me are Masters Mordo and Wong, of Kamar-taj.¡±

    Steve straightened up. ¡°They¡¯re not our enemies,¡± he said, though his tone was slightly guarded and he kept his shield held at the ready. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    The Sorcerer Supreme gave a small, tight smile as she cast her eye over the room, noting the arrayed heroes who¡¯d been a bare second away from unleashing hell on her. I took a breath, trying to calm my jangling nerves, and her gaze ended up resting on me as she spoke. ¡°Apologies once again for the unexpected visit. We¡¯ve just had one of our own, in fact, from a mutual acquaintance,¡± she said, inclining her head as she looked back at Steve. ¡°You sought to help Kamar?taj once before, captain. I hope the offer is still on the table?¡±

    Steve looked back at me, then at Tony and T¡¯Challa. ¡°It might be,¡± he allowed. ¡°We are kind of in the middle of something, though.¡±

    ¡°This mutual acquaintance¡­¡± I said slowly, worried that I might already know the answer.

    ¡°I think you may know her very well,¡± the Ancient One replied. I heaved a heavy sigh. Of course. This just had to get even more complicated than it already was.

    ¡°Eliza,¡± Tony said.

    ¡°The very same,¡± she confirmed. ¡°I was in meditation when I foresaw an immediate threat. We had little time to plan.¡±

    Most likely, that meant she had been trying to catch up on things using the Eye of Agamotto and barely managed to pull together a last-second response to what was going to happen. I hadn¡¯t thought about it before now, but she¡¯d already been scrambled by my arrival, my foreknowledge shattering her carefully prepared timeline into trillions of new possibilities. The particular thread we¡¯d ended up with, with the creation of Eliza¡ªa second source of unpredictable, uncontrolled ripples¡ªhad probably made everything even worse for her.

    ¡°Three intruders broke into the New York sanctum and used its doorway to invade Kamar-taj¡¯s library,¡± the Ancient One continued, eyeing me appraisingly. ¡°Their leader was Eliza. She wore your face, spoke with your voice. I don¡¯t know her precise connection to you, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± I said.

    ¡°She¡¯s not wrong,¡± interjected Tony. ¡°But, long story short, we¡¯re not Eliza¡¯s biggest fans, either.¡±

    The Ancient One nodded. ¡°Their target was the Book of Cagliostro.¡±

    ¡°That was the same book that Kaecilius stole the ritual from?¡± Steve asked, looking between us for confirmation. I nodded, looking questioningly at the Ancient One. I had no idea why Eliza would bother trying to steal the book. It wasn¡¯t like she¡¯d be able to decipher it¡ªI wasn¡¯t sure she was capable of learning magic at all.

    ¡°It may be that they believe they can use it to divine Kaecilius¡¯s whereabouts,¡± the sorcerer supplied. ¡°One of Eliza¡¯s companions was a witch.¡±

    My insides twisted, an icy knife stabbing through my guts. That was not good news. While witches more generally apparently existed, there was only one that I¡ªand, by extension, Eliza¡ªwas personally familiar with.

    Something must have been obvious about my expression and a hand touched my shoulder. ¡°What is it?¡± Nat asked me softly.

    I didn¡¯t respond directly, focusing on the Ancient One in front of me instead. ¡°What did this witch look like?¡± I asked faintly, trying to keep my voice steady.

    ¡°Young. Asian¡ªChinese, I believe. She was much more concerned with escaping than fighting. They stole a relic from the New York sanctum she relied on as a weapon. A minor practitioner, at best.¡±

    I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t realised I¡¯d been holding in. Thank god. If it had turned out that Eliza had managed to get Agatha fucking Harkness to work with her, I had no clue what we¡¯d do or how bad things might have gotten. The Darkhold was an extremely dangerous wildcard and I was extremely glad it was still out of play for the foreseeable future.

    I thought back to our working theory about how Eliza had infiltrated the Wakandan border. ¡°The Hand. She would have gotten her through the Hand. It¡¯s gotta be the woman that fled alongside Gao. I wish I knew who she was.¡±

    An Asian witch¡­ she wasn¡¯t anyone I¡¯d see on-screen, I didn¡¯t think, but this world was bigger than the movies and she could even be someone from the comics. I scrunched up my face, thinking back. I thought there was a young Asian magic-user of some kind in the Runaways series, which I was pretty sure was Marvel (if of dubious canonicity to the wider cinematic universe). Nico, or something? Was she a witch? I¡¯d never actually sat down and watched it, so I couldn¡¯t really remember anything useful.

    ¡°Did she have a sling ring?¡± I asked, almost absently.

    The Ancient One looked at me curiously. ¡°Not that we saw. Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ lost yours. Sorry. Eliza¡¯s been moving about unpredictably, we thought she might have had it.¡±

    ¡°A witch wouldn¡¯t be able to use a sling ring without training as a sorcerer,¡± Mordo said dismissively. ¡°They do, however, have their own Ways of travelling via magic.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Wait, why wouldn¡¯t they be able to? I can use a sling ring.¡±

    ¡°The Scarlet Witch breaks the rules in many ways,¡± the Ancient One responded smoothly. I pretended not to notice the look Tony shot me as she called me by my title. ¡°Your magic is marked by chaos.¡±

    Pietro tentatively raised a hand like a schoolkid. ¡°What about the book? Can they use it to find Kaecilius?¡±

    The Ancient One looked thoughtful for a moment, considering her words, but then shook her head. ¡°It could be possible for a witch to be skilled enough to leverage the sympathetic connection between the book and its pages as well as powerful enough to cast a spell capable of breaking through Kaecilius¡¯s wards. Those aligned with the spirit sign can have surprising skill in such areas. However, I could count on one hand the number of witches I¡¯ve heard of during my lifetime that I might guess could accomplish such a thing.¡±

    I nodded, thinking it through. ¡°I think if Madame Gao had access to a very powerful witch, things would have turned out a lot differently for her than they did in my visions,¡± I said slowly. ¡°Not to mention how Eliza might utilise a resource like that.¡±

    Mordo grunted his assent. ¡°Much more likely that this is a minor talent, and one sorely overestimating her own skill, at that.¡±

    ¡°Who was the third?¡± Steve asked. ¡°You said there were three intruders. Eliza, the witch, and¡­?¡±

    ¡°A woman capable of phasing through matter,¡± the Sorcerer Supreme said. ¡°Nonmagical. She was unlike anything we¡¯ve encountered before.¡± Behind the Ancient One, Mordo¡¯s expression visibly hardened, but he didn¡¯t add anything to her explanation.

    ¡°Ghost,¡± I said, nodding to myself. ¡°Makes sense. It¡¯s who I¡¯d choose for a heist if I could.¡±

    ¡°So you want our help getting your book back?¡± Tony asked, tapping his chin with a finger. He shrugged. ¡°I mean, we¡¯re already going to be going after Eliza, so the more the merrier, I guess. A little bit of magical muscle backing us up wouldn¡¯t go astray. You literally just interrupted a planning session, actually.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± I interrupted. ¡°Why are you coming to us for help with this?¡±

    The Ancient One inclined her head, acknowledging the question. ¡°Eliza is a¡­ robot?¡± she asked, looking to me for confirmation. I nodded and she continued. ¡°The Masters of the Mystic Arts specialise in handling threats to the mundane world that originate from beyond it¡ªthe magical, the supernatural, the extradimensional. Eliza is an advanced piece of technology who has other allies also with powerful, nonmagical abilities.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the experts on these sorts of foes,¡± Mordo interjected to clarify the Ancient One¡¯s point, looking toward Tony and the rest of the science team. ¡°Whereas we are as unfamiliar with their capabilities as you would be, were your enemies the N¡¯Garai of the Flickering Realms.¡±

    ¡°We are not afraid to ask for help with things that lie outside our areas of expertise,¡± the Ancient One concluded.

    ¡°¡­Fair enough,¡± I said. I had no idea what the N¡¯Garai were¡ªquestions for later¡ªbut I took their point.

    Steve nodded, looking over at T¡¯Challa for confirmation. ¡°We won¡¯t turn away more allies for this fight,¡± he said. The Wakandan prince frowned, but inclined his head slightly, and Steve continued. ¡°We don¡¯t know where she¡¯s based, but we have some thoughts on how we can find her. We can coordinate once we have more information.¡±

    The Ancient One waved her hand dismissively, the corner of her lips quirking upward. ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    Wong opened his mouth and spoke for the first time since they¡¯d arrived. ¡°Kamar-taj¡¯s library has not lost a book for over a thousand years. I will not be the first librarian to break that tradition,¡± he said, a determined look on his face.

    There was a very brief moment of silence. ¡°You can track them,¡± Natasha gave voice to the realisation that we¡¯d all more or less come to at the same time.

    Huh. Of course. That made perfect sense¡ªI¡¯d always wondered why Kaecilius hadn¡¯t taken the whole book.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the Ancient One confirmed. ¡°Each of the books in my private collection have an extensive series of enchantments woven into them to protect them from harm and allow them to be traced. I do not know of any wards strong enough to mask them from us.¡±

    ¡°These enchantments weren¡¯t strong enough to stop someone from ripping out a few pages, though?¡± Tony snarked.

    ¡°Kaecilius is a Master of the Mystic Arts,¡± the Ancient One said, emphasising his title, her voice otherwise unperturbed by the dig. ¡°While the tracking spells themselves would have been difficult and time-consuming to unravel, he obviously was still able to bypass one of the less-robust protections.¡±

    ¡°So we can find her. Right now,¡± I said suddenly. ¡°We know how to find her.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I checked the tracking enchantment again before we came to speak with you,¡± the sorcerer said with a nod. ¡°When they fled Kamar?taj, they retreated to the New York sanctum, and from there it looks like they travelled to a location in San Francisco. They have not moved for several hours.¡±

    Once again, the seemingly-deliberate dramatic timing of certain things tweaked at my sensibilities. We had just been trying to work out a reliable way to track down Eliza, only to have one miraculously happen to fall into our lap at exactly the right time. It wasn¡¯t something you¡¯d necessarily notice unless you were thinking in terms of fictional tropes, but once you did it hit you over the head with how obvious it could be at times. The sorcerers, in particular, seemed particularly adept at showing up exactly at the right time (or wrong time, depending on your perspective, I guess). Then again, ¡®A wizard is never late, nor is he early¡ªhe arrives precisely when he means to¡¯.

    Steve glanced in my direction, a slight frown twisting his features. ¡°We can¡¯t rush into this,¡± he hedged. ¡°We need to be sure.¡±

    I shook my head, eyes blazing as I turned to meet his gaze. ¡°I am sure. If Eliza really thinks that that book might be able to lead them to Kaecilius, then she won¡¯t let it out of her sight. She¡¯ll be there. We need to move quickly, before she figures out the book is useless to her and she gets rid of it.¡±

    We¡¯d still need to plan, of course, but this wasn¡¯t going to be the holding pattern Steve had originally envisioned. The science team wasn¡¯t going to get days or weeks of time to prepare Wanda-3 for the assault. Depending on where exactly Eliza was, there was a good chance we¡¯d be able to move today.

    ¡°Steve¡­¡± Nat said hesitantly. ¡°Wanda¡¯s right. If we¡¯re doing this, we can¡¯t afford to hesitate.¡±

    He set his jaw and was about to respond, but I beat him to it, turning back to the Ancient One. ¡°Alright. If you can give us a more precise location in San Francisco, we can start planning our approach.¡± Steve shot me an annoyed look, but I ignored him, continuing to address the sorcerers. ¡°Let¡¯s get you up to speed on what Eliza is, exactly, and how we¡¯re planning on taking her down.¡±

 Chapter 57

    ¡°We don¡¯t know the exact disposition of Eliza¡¯s forces or what countermeasures she might have in place, but we can expect heavy resistance,¡± Steve said, gesturing to the map that was being projected onto the screen behind him.

    It was early morning and we were all gathered together for yet another strategy meeting¡ªthis time, however, there was a tense edge to the atmosphere as we prepped for the mission to come. Our group seemed to just keep getting larger, with General Okoye now standing with T¡¯Challa and Shuri, as well as the three sorcerers from Kamar-taj clustered on one side of the room. While I was listening and trying to internalise everything Steve was saying, most of my attention was taken up just trying to keep a lid on just how nervous I was. This was really it. We were going for it and I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen.

    The exact location that the Ancient One¡¯s tracking spell had pointed to lined up essentially perfectly with a Stark Industries¡¯ warehousing facility in San Francisco¡¯s Central Waterfront, right near Pier 80. There were limited avenues of approach and the building had relatively clear sightlines, but portals meant we could bypass most of that.

    We¡¯d already gone over the schematics, but there wasn¡¯t too much to see. It was a large warehouse with some partitioned space for offices and other storage rooms¡ªthe kind that could be easily shifted around with minor construction works¡ªso there was no guarantee what the internal layout would be like. And that was about all we were going to get, reconnaissance-wise. Satellite imagery was off the table, as was any other real pre-mission surveillance of our target. The element of surprise was paramount here, and anything that might have gotten us more detailed information on our target came with a risk that it would tip Eliza off that we knew where she was and give her a chance to either solidify her defences or flee.

    As we went over the plan, every detail seemed to cause my anxiety to rise.

    ¡°The Hand¡¯s status is unknown¡ªWanda¡¯s confident that the assassins that Gao initially brought in were some of their most dangerous fighters, but they have an unknown number of other combatants,¡± Steve continued. ¡°Among the things stolen during Eliza¡¯s attack were two vibranium full-body habits and a handful of vibranium-based weapons, as well as raw materials that could have been used to produce more. We have to assume they¡¯re well-equipped. As well as what was stolen from Wakanda, Eliza has access to all of Tony¡¯s designs and Stark Industries¡¯ holographic technology. Tony?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s attention shifted to the technologist and he shrugged. ¡°She didn¡¯t use many drones when she attacked the Great Mound, but she¡¯s had the time and resources to produce them so we can¡¯t assume that she hasn¡¯t. She might be keeping them in reserve or stockpiling them. The Mark 45 suit is probably the biggest individual threat we¡¯ll have to deal with¡ªit wasn¡¯t fully ready for deployment when she stole it, but she¡¯s had more than enough time to finish it off. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she¡¯s taken the opportunity to retrofit it with some of her stolen vibranium, either. Danvers and I should be able to handle it, either way, at least until Legolas is ready to take his shot.¡±

    As he spoke, Tony picked up a metal case sitting on the table next to him and clicked it open, picking out one of two-dozen smaller, rounded containers from within and holding it up demonstratively.

    ¡°Contact lenses¡ªthey shift the wavefunction of light just enough to interfere with the way BARF constructs holograms. They¡¯ll still be visible, but you¡¯ll be able to see through them. Shouldn¡¯t interfere with your normal vision.¡±

    We¡¯d already explained BARF to the sorcerers after they¡¯d described the appearance that Eliza had worn for her heist¡ªI wasn¡¯t super happy she was running around looking like me. Tony passed the case to Killmonger, who took out a set before passing it along to the next person. The briefing continued as the case made its way around the room. When it reached me, I took a set and frowned. This was going to suck. I¡¯d never been good at putting in contact lenses.

    ¡°Ghost is likely to be on-site,¡± Steve continued. ¡°Don¡¯t engage her in hand-to-hand if it can be avoided. Our best bet is to hit her hard and fast, from an angle she¡¯s not expecting, so she doesn¡¯t have a chance to phase out.¡±

    ¡°Leave her to me,¡± Pietro said confidently, leaning back in his chair.

    Steve nodded, glancing in my direction. ¡°There¡¯s also the treatment chamber that Wanda described¡ªif we can secure it, we might be able to force her to stand down.¡±

    ¡°Ghost prioritises herself over basically everything else,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Eliza might be leading her on with promises of help with her condition, but if she thinks we might cut her off from her source of quantum energy she should back down.¡±

    ¡°Eliza herself cannot be underestimated as a threat in close combat, either,¡± the Ancient One spoke up. ¡°In addition to her weapons, she¡¯s an extremely skilled fighter.¡±

    I blinked. ¡°She is?¡±

    The sorcerer nodded gravely. That was weird. I wasn¡¯t a bad fighter, per se, but, even with the boost from the Heart-Shaped Herb, without any access to my chaos magic I wouldn¡¯t really rate my chances in a proper fight with¡­ well, essentially anyone here. Even Nat had a significant amount of experience fighting super soldier-level opponents. I might be able to take Clint, if he didn¡¯t use any particularly sneaky trick arrows.

    The rest of us exchanged a few glances. ¡°JARVIS did have an active combat analysis module, though I didn¡¯t need to use it often,¡± Tony said, a speculative edge to his tone.

    Natasha suddenly straightened, a look of realisation on her face. She looked at me for a moment before turning her attention to Tony and Bruce. ¡°The Taskmaster Protocol. The data we took from the Red Room?¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡± I grimaced at the involuntary noise I¡¯d made, my leg bouncing restlessly as my level of anxiety reached new heights. I¡¯d forgotten all about that. How was this fair?! It felt like every time we even talked about Eliza she got stronger.

    Bruce nodded slowly. ¡°We were focused on dealing with the Widows¡¯ chemical mind control so we hadn¡¯t had much time to look over it, but yeah, we did get the Taskmaster Protocol and most of its associated data. I can¡¯t see any reason she wouldn¡¯t be able to use it.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± said Clint, a little sarcastically.

    Steve shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t change anything, but it¡¯s good information to have. We¡¯ll just need to be conscious of it when engaging her.¡± He turned to the map again, hesitating slightly before gesturing at it with a hand. Three red circles appeared, highlighting specific locations. ¡°One or more of the dragon flyers stolen from Wakanda might be present, so Carol and Tony will approach from the bay on a slight delay and intercept them or any other vehicles that attempt to flee. The main loading dock is big enough to fly a Quinjet through, so that¡¯s the most likely place for them to be. The rest of us will be divided into three teams¡ªone for each entrance to the building. We¡¯ll use portals to drop in and breach simultaneously.¡±

    Breaching was safer than portalling directly into the warehouse, given we didn¡¯t know what to expect. She could have the whole place rigged to blow, for all we knew.

    ¡°Hawkeye, your primary target is the Mark 45. Don¡¯t jump the gun¡ªwe¡¯ll try to get Eliza talking first, see if we can get any more confidence in our guess about how she¡¯s using it.¡±

    Clint nodded. He was holding the nanotech arrow Shuri had given him, turning it over and over again in his hand, betraying a hint of nervousness. ¡°Just one shot,¡± he said.

    ¡°One shot,¡± Steve agreed. ¡°Make sure it counts. Don¡¯t take it until we¡¯ve confirmed the target and you¡¯re absolutely sure you¡¯re going to hit it.¡±

    Oh, good, yes, please, frame it like that. No pressure.

    Why had I thought the arrow was a good idea again? Were we really risking the outcome of the whole mission and put maybe all of our lives in the hands of fucking Hawkeye? Part of me knew that this was a sensible strategy that even the tactical minds of the team had agreed to, but the less-rational part of me was determined to nitpick whatever holes it could in our plan.

    ¡°Align with one of us before you take your shot, archer,¡± Mordo said, raising his voice so he could be heard. ¡°We can provide a second chance, should you miss.¡±

    I took a deep breath to calm myself, nodding along as he spoke. I hadn¡¯t explicitly thought of it before now, but it was a good point¡ªa ranged projectile could be redirected with a well-placed portal, much as I¡¯d done with the spear Pietro had thrown during our fight at Avengers Tower. I¡¯d have to keep my eyes open as well. This was fine. It was going to be fine.

    Steve nodded as well, acknowledging the sorcerer¡¯s words. ¡°She¡¯s likely to go after Tony directly,¡± he added. ¡°Shadowing him might be the best bet for a clear shot.¡±

    Tony let out a small snort of amusement. ¡°You want to use me as bait?¡±

    ¡°Not as bait,¡± Steve said, shaking his head. ¡°We know what her priorities are¡ªwe¡¯re just planning accordingly.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I minded being bait.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going, too,¡± Shuri said suddenly, her voice loud and firm.

    ¡°You are not,¡± T¡¯Challa responded immediately, his head snapping around so he could stare at her, a little bit of surprise in his tone.

    Shuri set her jaw. ¡°We need her to commit to the fight, rather than flee. Stark might be enough to bait her on his own, but the two of us, together?¡±

    ¡°I do not care, Shuri. It is too dangerous,¡± he said.

    ¡°I know you want to help, Shuri, but your brother¡¯s right. Eliza is extremely dangerous and we¡¯re going in blind. We don¡¯t know what sort of defences she¡¯s going to have in place,¡± Steve interjected¡ªhe was trying to be helpful, but he¡¯d put on his ¡®talking to a headstrong child¡¯ voice and I knew Shuri would respond to that about as well as I did.

    ¡°It¡¯s too obvious,¡± Bucky chimed in. ¡°She won¡¯t expect you to come with us. If you do, it¡¯ll be suspicious. It might spook her.¡±

    Shuri frowned angrily, opening her mouth for a moment, then she re-considered whatever snarky response had immediately leapt to mind. ¡°She might think it¡¯s a trap,¡± she said instead, looking over in my direction briefly. ¡°But would she really pass up the opportunity to disarm us as a threat entirely?¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if she had looked at me with the assumption that I¡¯d support her suggestion, but I spoke up anyway. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why you shouldn¡¯t come,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee this works. If things go really bad¡­ we need to make sure we have a backup plan still around.¡±

    Shuri glared at me for a moment before she looked around the room, presumably looking for someone who might back her up. Her expression darkened further, but she shut her mouth and didn¡¯t argue the matter any further.

    Steve nodded again. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s about it. Go gear up, make any final preparations you need to. We leave in thirty minutes. Oh-dark-thirty sharp.¡± I was still wrapping my head around the time zone differences, but we¡¯d already talked the timing through and it¡¯d be approximately ten in the evening in San Francisco when we arrived.

    There were nods and murmurs of assent as the group broke into smaller clusters, most heading out to suit up and ready their gear. T¡¯Challa and Shuri stepped to a corner of the room to speak to each other with lowered voices¡ªstill arguing over whether she would come, it sounded like. Pietro started to follow the main group of Avengers out, but stopped again when he noticed that I hadn¡¯t moved yet.

    My eyes were fixed on the Ancient One and the other two sorcerers. They were lingering as well, just standing together in a small group. What would they be doing for the next half an hour? Just¡­ hanging out? Waiting? I was glad we had some additional help, but I still hated that they were here. Ostensibly they were here for Eliza, but that didn¡¯t mean they didn¡¯t have ulterior motives.

    Seemingly sensing my gaze upon her, the Sorcerer Supreme turned slightly to return it and we regarded each other quietly. Pietro vacillated, looking between the two of us, an uncertain expression on his face. After a few seconds, I let out a small sigh and walked up to her. ¡°So¡­¡± I said, drawing out the ¡®oh¡¯ sound. ¡°Can I trust that the Masters of the Mystic Arts aren¡¯t going to turn around and try to capture or banish me the second we¡¯re done helping you get your book back?¡± I asked, trying to keep my tone light despite the anxiety clawing at my chest.

    Mordo shot me a warning look, but a small, tight smile tugged at the corner of the Ancient One¡¯s mouth. ¡°The situation has not overly changed since your last visit,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I could convince you to come back to Kamar-taj with us afterward?¡±

    ¡°Not a chance.¡±

    ¡°I thought as much,¡± she said, a touch of something unidentifiable in her voice. ¡°Our truce remains. You have my word.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± I said, nodding slowly. I wasn¡¯t completely sure I trusted her word, but it wasn¡¯t like there was anything else that she could say that would set my mind at ease.

    ¡°Eliza¡­ an artificial intelligence, born from the Mind Stone, fighting the Avengers,¡± the Ancient One mused quietly, turning back to face the map of the warehouse that still dominated the screen on the far side of the room. She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. ¡°The version of reality we find ourselves with is so divorced from the timelines I have observed as to be nearly unrecognisable at times. Still, there are similarities. Common points of reference.¡±

    I bit my lip and nodded. Regardless of how much Eliza disliked being compared to Ultron, discounting the similarities between the two of them would be silly. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that, as well.¡±

    ¡°The future you witnessed didn¡¯t happen here, so history cannot repeat itself,¡± the sorcerer said. ¡°But it seems it does still rhyme, from time to time.¡±

    I let out a soft snort of amusement, shaking my head. ¡°And so do you, apparently.¡±

    She smiled faintly again. ¡°So it would seem.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ better go get ready.¡±

    The sorcerer inclined her head silently and I stepped away, moving back toward Pietro. He fell into step with me as we headed for the Avengers¡¯ temporary quarters.

    --

    Twenty minutes later, I stood resting my forehead against the cool metal of one of the Avengers¡¯ lockers, my eyes closed, taking a few deep breaths as my stomach did its best impression of a washing machine. I was dressed and ready, wearing a loose dress cut from some rich, deep red cloth, with what I guessed were polished plates of vibranium armour adorning my shoulders, collar, and waist¡ªT¡¯Challa had at least been sensible enough not to expect Pietro and I to charge into battle wearing the Wakandan equivalent of prison fatigues.

    I took another breath. I didn¡¯t want to do this. I didn¡¯t want to fight Eliza. I didn¡¯t want to send Wanda-3 to her probable death. I didn¡¯t want any of this.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Nat said softly. I opened my eyes a crack, turning my head as she stepped in to lean against the locker next to me. ¡°You okay?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No,¡± I said, honestly. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to throw up.¡±

    A small smile tugged at her mouth. ¡°You know, if you keep throwing up every mission, Tony¡¯s probably going to start calling you Chuck or something.¡±

    I groaned, the noise bordering on a whimper. ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot. I don¡¯t know if I can do this.¡±

    Her expression softened, a sympathetic look entering her eyes. She leaned forward, touching my temple with her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re not an idiot,¡± she said, quietly but firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. This has been a really big mess and being an Avenger is hard. You can do this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not an Avenger, Nat,¡± I mumbled. ¡°I really wanted to be, but¡­¡±

    Nat pulled away, looking at me critically. I turned to face her, my shoulders hunched as I glanced to the side where Pietro and Clint stood waiting for us. Everyone was ready to go¡­ I was holding them all up. ¡°You know, for all the secret knowledge in that head of yours, sometimes you¡¯re just absolutely clueless,¡± Natasha said affectionately, shaking her head. She glanced over at Clint briefly. ¡°Being an Avenger isn¡¯t being in a club. Tony doesn¡¯t get to decide if you¡¯re an Avenger. Steve doesn¡¯t, either. That¡¯s not how we started and it¡¯s not what we are now. We¡¯re Avengers because we don¡¯t give up. Not even when it¡¯s hard. Especially when it¡¯s hard. It¡¯s putting yourself in danger¡ªknowing you might not walk away¡ªbecause you want to make a difference. You want to protect people.¡±

    ¡°But this¡­ this is all my fault.¡±

    Clint stepped closer, catching my attention. His expression was serious. ¡°Nat¡¯s right. Maybe it¡¯s your fault. That doesn¡¯t matter. Who cares? What matters is, are you up for this? We¡¯re going up against a superpowered evil computer and our best plan is for me to shoot it with a bow and arrow,¡± he said, a touch of incredulity in his tone. ¡°None of this makes sense. But I¡¯m going to go because it¡¯s my job. You don¡¯t have to come. You could stay here. Hell, you could open a portal right now and run anywhere on Earth. But you¡¯re not, are you? You¡¯re coming. You¡¯re putting yourself at risk to save people. To fight. If you come with us¡­ you¡¯re an Avenger. End of story.¡±

    ¡°¡­Things rhyme, from time to time,¡± I murmured quietly to myself. I straightened up, taking a deep breath to compose myself. Surprisingly, my stomach had settled slightly. ¡°Alright. I''m good. Let''s go kick some AI butt.¡±

    --

    ¡°For the last time, no, Shuri,¡± T¡¯Challa said firmly as we rounded the corner. The Wakandan prince was outfitted in his full Black Panther habit, his face covered by the expressionless mask as he barred his little sister¡¯s way.

    Despite the earlier consensus that she would not be joining us, Shuri herself was dressed for battle as well, lightly armoured with a gorget and skirt interlaced with polished vibranium plates and a pair of stylised panther blasters covering her hands. Her braids were pulled up in a tightly bound bun on top of her head, white warpaint dotted across her forehead and marking her lower lip.

    She set her jaw, squaring off with her brother. ¡°This is my decision, T¡¯Challa, not yours.¡±

    They weren¡¯t alone. Okoye stood to one side, watching the argument¡ªher expression was steady, but I thought I detected a small hint of concealed amusement in the twitch of her lips. The sorcerers were waiting patiently, incongruously sitting on antique wooden chairs with a low table between them, sipping on tea that I supposed they must have conjured or otherwise brought with them. Killmonger, Steve and Bucky had arrived already as well, but while they stood nearby they didn¡¯t seem overly keen to get between the siblings while they quarrelled.

    ¡°I will not have my little sister used as bait. This conversation is over, Shuri. You will remain here.¡± Annoyance warred with surprise and disbelief in T¡¯Challa¡¯s tone¡ªI got the feeling that he was unused to having her talk back to him on something like this.

    Shuri was utterly undeterred, almost snarling as she spat her words at him. ¡°I am not just your ¡®little sister¡¯!¡± she practically shouted, angrier and louder than I¡¯d ever seen her before. ¡°I am a princess of Wakanda! I have received the blessing of Bast! It is my right to defend my people, just as much as it is yours!¡±

    ¡°I just want you to be safe. You are still young, you have plenty of time to protect Wakanda.¡±

    Shuri shook her head violently. ¡°You want me to be safe but it is not safe for me here, brother. She has proven that over and over again. I won¡¯t be safe until she is dead.¡±

    I really, really hoped I was imagining it, but I could have sworn that Shuri¡¯s eyes had flickered over to me for a brief moment as she spoke just then. I knew how much she and her brother disliked me, and a little part of me was anxious that she was counting Eliza and I as the same person when she said it. I suppressed a sigh. I still had to contend with Wakanda and the show trial they demanded of Pietro and I after we resolved this mess.

    T¡¯Challa paused, his mask concealing his expression as he regarded his sister silently. She stared back at him defiantly, shoulders set, her expression determined. After a few moments passed, T¡¯Challa dropped his gaze, shaking his head. ¡°¡­Baba is going to kill me. And he will be right to do so.¡± He gestured toward the rest of us with one hand. ¡°Fine. You can come with us. But¡ª¡±

    ¡°No buts. We fight side by side, brother.¡±

    Okoye chose that moment to intercede. ¡°I will guard her with my life, my prince,¡± she said, simply, but that seemed to be enough to put an end to the discussion. T¡¯Challa seemed like he wanted to say something more, his jaw working, but after a moment he just nodded.

    The sound of metal footsteps heralded Tony¡¯s arrival as he entered the room along with the last few stragglers of our team. I took a few tentative steps into the room, looking around at everyone. Really just¡­ looked, for the first time in what felt like a long time. It wasn¡¯t quite a complete Endgame-level team up, but it was getting damn close, and nearly a decade early besides. I started to hum a familiar tune quietly under my breath.

    The Mark 43 armour had taken a beating, but the chestplates had been replaced with vibranium fittings and Tony, Iron Man, wore it confidently as he walked in. Alongside him was Bruce¡ªprobably the plainest-dressed person here, just wearing a set of his usual plain outfits with pants designed to stretch to allow his transformation¡ªand Carol, in full blue, red and gold Captain Marvel regalia.

    On one side of the room, the trio of robed sorcerers from Kamar-taj stood up, their furniture sinking away into portals conjured beneath them¡ªMordo held the Staff of the Living Tribunal loosely in one hand, tucked behind his back, while Wong was similarly equipped with the Wand of Watoomb. The Eye of Agamotto hung from the Ancient One¡¯s neck. Opposite them, the Black Panther stood alongside Shuri and Okoye in full Wakandan battle dress. Even fucking Killmonger, in a set of plated vibranium armour, stood checking over the sonic rifle he¡¯d been given.

    On my right, Natasha was wearing her black body suit, a little too bulky to call completely skintight¡ªI thought I remembered her mentioning at one point that it was effectively a Kevlar variant, similar to Steve¡¯s uniform. Her Widow¡¯s Bites were on her wrists, bright blue strips of light along her arms and side. Clint was wearing a black and deep purple vest with one armoured sleeve, a two-fingered glove on the other hand. On my left, Pietro had been given a Wakandan-style outfit as well, black sports-style material with silver highlights and armoured gloves.

    At the far end of the room, in the direction we were walking, stood Bucky, his metal arm polished, wearing a black, military-style load bearing vest and checking over an enormous machine gun he¡¯d gotten from somewhere. Next to him, Steve, Captain America, was in his full uniform. I hadn¡¯t noticed until just now, but the Wakandans must have repaired the shallow gouges that T¡¯Challa had scratched in the surface of his shield¡ªthe surface now bright and unmarred. He glanced over and saw me looking at him. I held his gaze for a moment, then gave a small, determined nod. He gave me one in return.

    This was¡­ this was what I¡¯d wanted all along, wasn¡¯t it? What I¡¯d been trying to do since Pietro and I had escaped from the HYDRA research base. For all my faults and failures, I¡¯d still somehow gotten us to this point. It¡¯d taken a little while. I¡¯d stumbled. Made mistakes. There were still issues that would need to be resolved. It wasn¡¯t perfect. But what was? Right now, looking around at the gathered heroes as everyone did final checks on their gear? I could practically hear the fucking theme music.

    I reached into my pocket, pulling out Kaecilius¡¯ sling ring, and slipped it onto my fingers, touching the Mind Stone at my neck for a brief moment before letting my hands fall back to my sides and reflexively tightening them into fists.

    The quiet tone of an alarm sounded above us as the clock ticked over, declaring that the mission was on, but at first it almost seemed like barely anyone heard it. ¡°Avengers!¡± Steve raised his voice to catch everyone¡¯s attention, still maintaining eye contact with me, and my heart practically skipped a beat as everyone turned toward him. ¡°Assemble!¡±

    A surge of chaos magic coursed through me, wisps of red energy boiling off my body as my eyes glowed with power. My anxiety was gone completely, replaced with an unshakeable certainty that we were going to pull this off. ¡°Let¡¯s fucking go,¡± I growled under my breath, baring my teeth at Steve in a near-feral grin. I was an Avenger.

    Eliza wasn¡¯t going to know what hit her.

 Chapter 58

    Agatha watched from the sidelines as the five figures¡ªthe Fingers of the Hand¡ªstrode out onto the main warehouse floor. The place was utterly lousy with Hand foot soldiers, dozens of them having arrived well before their leadership to secure the area. They were joined by at least thirty of Eliza¡¯s Iron Legion drones, spread around the space. It was just a small force, intended to be mildly impressive, without risking that their guests might feel threatened by the force on display.

    Eliza was holding back, of course. She¡¯d been concentrating her resources here just in case this went unexpectedly sideways, with more of the robots shipped in from around the country and packed into the backrooms like sardines, ready to be deployed at a moment¡¯s notice. Agatha had found a convenient spot to observe from, just near the corridor leading back to her room. It was close enough to listen in while still being back far enough that she wouldn¡¯t be expected to be involved in the conversation or be interrupting anything if she got bored and left. Eliza had parked one of the Iron Legion drones beside her to allow the two of them to speak quietly should they need to, without much risk of them being overheard.

    At the head of the group of new arrivals was Alexandra Reid, a tall woman of European heritage, wearing a simple, nondescript business-casual skirt, blouse and jacket combo. Eliza had called her ¡®Ripley¡¯ a couple of times¡ªAgatha hadn¡¯t yet deciphered if there was any special meaning behind the nicknames the AI gave to certain people, but Reid just looked like any other generic businesswoman Agatha had ever seen. Had anyone ever made a ¡®middle finger¡¯ joke to her face before? Agatha hoped not¡­ she definitely wanted to get one in before they killed her.

    Two familiar faces¡ªMadame Gao and Bakuto¡ªflanked Reid on her left, while the two on the right were new: An African man in a white and light grey tailored three-piece suit with a white fedora, and a Japanese man with a simple white shirt under a grey blazer¡­ Eliza said she didn¡¯t recall their names. Sometimes there seemed to be odd gaps in the information the AI had. After this meeting, Agatha decided, she would broach the topic of the AI¡¯s source of knowledge and find out exactly how she knew what she knew. Given the tryst they¡¯d had this morning, she figured she had about even odds that the AI would just tell her.

    The Fingers had all arrived more or less simultaneously, linking up outside, before heading in together. Agatha supposed that entering as one group was meant to show unity and strength, but she also knew that Eliza was far too aware of the fractures between them to take it seriously. The AI met them alone on the main floor, her vibranium body cloaked in the BARF hologram of Wanda Maximoff that she used when she wanted to appear more ¡®normal¡¯.

    Gao¡¯s pet witch, the young Chinese girl that Agatha had stolen the appearance of for their raid on Kamar-taj, entered a respectful distance behind her betters. She noticed Agatha and circled around toward her¡ªugh. Hopefully she wouldn¡¯t try to talk to her. Agatha was here to watch the fireworks, not socialise. Still, she forced a smile onto her face as the girl approached. The baby witch, thankfully, kept up her usual fa?ade of aloof haughtiness, though she couldn¡¯t help but sneak a few curious glances at the Dark Sceptre that Agatha held as they stood silently, watching the proceedings.

    Agatha spaced out a little as the AI and Hand leadership went over their initial introductions¡ªboring¡ªonly really starting to pay attention again when Eliza gestured toward another side corridor that led off the main warehouse floor. The two Iron Legion drones that had been standing in front of it stepped smartly aside and Beck¡¯s test subjects strode out.

    They were dressed in textured black full-body suits with silver accents, visored metal masks over their faces. Filing out, they lined up in two neat rows of three before simultaneously dropping to one knee in front of the gathered Fingers in the manner of the Hand¡¯s usual foot soldiers. Each had one or more vibranium weapons strapped to their body¡ªa long-blade spear, a thick-bladed Ikakalaka sword, a pair of circular ring blades with shimmering blue energy around their interior edges, a pair of pointed, collapsible shields, a pair of panther-headed sonic blasters, and a pair of diamond-shaped daggers.

    ¡°They don¡¯t look particularly impressive,¡± Reid remarked, looking over the kneeling warriors briefly before glanced back at Gao and Bakuto. ¡°Was this really worth the time and effort you¡¯ve wasted?¡±

    Eliza bared her teeth in an annoyed smile, then raised a hand. The BARF illusion cloaking her form dissipated, revealing her vibranium, mechanical body. Red plasma flickered into being, swirling around her head, and her eyes flashed. ¡°They don¡¯t look impressive because I have not chosen for them to look impressive,¡± the AI said patiently. ¡°Bedding down their capabilities was much more important. Tweaking the aesthetics can come later. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    There was a pause, the Fingers who had not seen Eliza¡¯s preferred form before noticeably stiffening at the AI¡¯s appearance. Agatha had to admit, it was a rather intimidating sight. After a brief moment, Reid spoke again. ¡°Alright,¡± she acknowledged. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. How about I start with their equipment? Those suits are a vibranium mesh weave¡ªthe strongest metal on Earth,¡± Eliza said. The African Finger straightened at the AI¡¯s mention of vibranium. ¡°They¡¯re adapted from the Black Panther¡¯s habit. Their weapons are vibranium, too. Prizes from our successful raid on Wakanda.¡±

    ¡°Not so successful,¡± the Japanese Finger sniffed, shooting a pointed glance in Gao¡¯s direction. ¡°The Hand lost many valuable resources that day.¡±

    ¡°Think of it as an investment, rather than a loss,¡± the AI countered. ¡°This is the result. The suits are almost indestructible¡ªcompletely bulletproof, highly resistant to basically everything else. They¡¯re lightweight enough that they basically don¡¯t inhibit mobility at all. Wearing one, an unenhanced person could take a grenade to the face and just be mildly stunned.¡±

    ¡°How much vibranium did you obtain?¡± the African Finger asked, a hungry look in his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m essentially out, for now,¡± the AI admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve been using what we recovered for some other things as well. Still, this is more than enough for the moment.¡±

    Reid made a small sound of disapproval in the back of her throat. Agatha had no idea how Eliza was managing to keep a straight face, here. Just watching the woman was annoying the crap out of her¡ªshe was really going to enjoy seeing the look on Reid¡¯s face when the AI killed her.

    Eliza stepped over toward the kneeling test subjects and one stood up to meet her, holding his black-gloved hands out in front of him for inspection. After a half a second, the metal of the gloves began to glow a dull red, a visible heat haze starting to form in the air around them.

    ¡°Are you familiar at all with Extremis?¡± Eliza asked the Fingers. ¡°A gene therapy developed by AIM¡ªAldrich Killian¡ªthe terrorist that abducted the US President a few years back. Enhanced strength, reflexes, and the ability to generate extreme heat through bioelectric induction. If something manages to hurt them despite the suit, Extremis also grants advanced regenerative abilities¡ªcut off a limb, they¡¯ll grow it right back.¡±

    ¡°The Extremis process is flawed. Its recipients are nothing but ticking time bombs,¡± Reid interjected.

    ¡°That would normally be true. Stark looked it over, learned what he could, then mothballed it,¡± Eliza said, nodding. As she spoke, one of the Iron Legion drones walked up to join her. The vibranium of the test subject¡¯s gloves had gotten even hotter, orange with a core of yellow. Even though they were standing relatively far away, Agatha could feel the warmth of it on her face. ¡°Extremis normally breaks down and destabilises¡ªsometimes quickly, sometimes over an extended period. Useful for temporary, disposable assets, but that¡¯s about it. Normally. But that¡¯s where the Hand¡¯s own advantages come into play.¡±

    ¡°Manipulation of chi,¡± Madame Gao said, looking thoughtful.

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Eliza swept a hand out, taking in the foot soldiers that the Hand¡¯s leaders had brought with them. ¡°All of your warriors train to gain control over their body¡ªlearning to manipulate their chi to the point where they have significant control over their internal processes¡­ the flow of their blood, their heartrate, and so on.¡±

    Reid looked interested despite herself. ¡°You¡¯re saying that they can stabilise it?¡±

    ¡°Cards on the table? I really need more data to see how well it can be maintained over the longer term, but the initial trials are looking extremely promising.¡± Eliza grinned. ¡°The same control should also allow them to deliberately overload it, if needed, too. I haven¡¯t tested that yet, for obvious reasons. The records I have indicate Extremis detonations reach up to three thousand degrees Celsius, vaporizing targets over ten meters away.¡±

    The test subject lashed out, grabbing the Iron Legion drone that had joined them. The metal came apart like putty in his hands as he ripped the robot in half almost effortlessly. It fell to the concrete floor in two twisted pieces, sparking, the edges of the metal still glowing. The test subject lowered his gloved hands and they immediately began to cool, spending the next few seconds going from yellow, to orange, to red, to black again. Agatha made a small noise of disappointment. She¡¯d been sure one of the Fingers would flinch back at the movement, but none had¡ªthough some surprise and newfound wariness had entered a few of their expressions.

    ¡°Finally, each has a combat-augmenting chip implanted at the base of their skull, using something called the Taskmaster Protocol. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be familiar with it, but it was used by the Russian Red Room¡¯s top assassin. It analyses, breaks down, and allows them to perfectly mimic the fighting skills of recorded opponents. There¡¯s not as much combat data as I¡¯d like just yet¡ªthe download and integration progress takes some time¡ªbut we¡¯ve mostly gotten everything that was recorded during the Wakanda raid, Avenger and Hand alike.¡± Eliza made a dismissive gesture with one hand. ¡°Their masks have HUDs with built-in combat analysis suites, as well, to grab additional data as they go. They¡¯ll only get better over time. It won¡¯t take too long before they¡¯re essentially the best fighters and marksmen in the world, in addition to their other advantages. I¡¯d be happy to give a demonstration of their skills, if some of the soldiers you¡¯ve brought with you are particularly expendable.¡±

    Of course, there was one other element of the Red Room¡¯s technology that Eliza had also integrated into Beck¡¯s test subjects¡ªthe chemical subjugation of brain functions. These six test subjects had come in unfailingly loyal to the Hand, but were now nothing more than Eliza¡¯s puppets, living extensions of her will.

    Agatha was starting to find it rather fascinating, between BARF and the Red Room so far, just how many magical processes were able to be mimicked by scientific advancement. What was that quote, again, about sufficiently advanced technology? Another small part of her was extremely glad that she¡¯d ingratiated herself to Eliza the way that she had¡ªhad the AI continued to view her as a simple tool, she may well have used the same process on her¡­ What a nightmare that would have been, to be trapped in her own body, literally unable to think or do anything without the AI¡¯s permission.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Before the Fingers had gotten here, Agatha had asked Eliza why she was bothering with this whole demonstration. The Hand was no HYDRA. The deaths of their leadership would permanently cripple the organisation, if not destroy it outright. The AI wasn¡¯t intending to let any of them walk away from this and, when it came right down to it, she could have simply annihilated them the second they¡¯d arrived. Eliza had simply told her that there was a single, important difference between a hero and a superhero, or between a villain and a supervillain¡ªpresentation.

    Agatha had to admit, seeing this all playing out, she was rather coming to appreciate the AI¡¯s sense of showmanship.

    Reid, at least, finally looked properly interested in what she was being shown, staring at the test subjects with a calculating expression on her face. ¡°That¡­ won¡¯t be necessary,¡± she said to Eliza after a moment. ¡°You¡¯ve actually managed to impress me. That¡¯s no small feat.¡±

    Madame Gao tapped her cane again. ¡°With these weapons, K¡¯un-Lun¡ª¡±

    The Finger was interrupted by the muffled sound of firing blasters and the clash of metal on metal¡ªsudden sounds of battle ringing out from the direction of the warehouse¡¯s main entrance. Almost simultaneously, the Iron Legion drone standing next to Agatha turned to her, reaching up to place a hand on her shoulder and firmly pushing her backwards toward the corridor. ¡°Agatha, move. Now.¡±

    The witch blinked, confused, then the floor shivered beneath her as an explosion rolled out from the warehouse¡¯s side loading dock and she quickly found her feet. Turning, she hurried down the corridor, the robot moving quickly alongside her as they made their way to her room. She flung the door open, heading inside, then paused, unsure what was happening or Eliza was expecting her to do now that she was here.

    A scant few seconds later, the young Chinese witch burst in after them, her hands raised as she drew out a thread of blue magical energy. Agatha raised the Dark Sceptre defensively and the Iron Legion drone held a hand out toward the witch, the whine of a repulsor charging up filling the air. They all froze for a moment, then Eliza spoke again, the drone turning its head to look at Agatha. ¡°Grab the books,¡± she ordered. ¡°I want you and them out of here. Get through to the back, to the dragon flyers. The Avengers are attacking the warehouse.¡±

    ¡°The Avengers?¡± Agatha asked, puzzled. That didn¡¯t make sense. What would they hope to accomplish, attacking Eliza now? Still, Agatha knew better than to argue. She turned away from the Chinese witch and scooped the Darkhold up from its stand, stacking the Book of Cagliostro on top of it and clutching the two books against her body using her free hand.

    ¡°Wait,¡± the Chinese witch said, her accented voice slightly unsteady. Her eyes were wide and she glanced back toward the open door they¡¯d just come through. ¡°The Avengers? But¡­ we have to protect Madame Gao and the other Fingers.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no! Not Madame Gao and the fingies!¡± Agatha said pursing her lips like she was talking to a baby. Her tone shifted from mocking to flat. ¡°I need to leave. I really don¡¯t care what you do.¡±

    ¡°Keep her with you,¡± Eliza said, and Agatha shot the drone an unimpressed look in response. ¡°Plausible deniability,¡± the AI clarified.

    Agatha rolled her eyes, then glanced at the silvery ball of Wakandan nanotech on her side table. ¡°BARF?¡±

    ¡°Useless against the Avengers. Can you use an illusion?¡±

    She nodded, then looked down at her hands for a moment before thrusting the Dark Sceptre and stack of books into the drone¡¯s arms. Focusing, she brought her hands up in front of herself and drew forth a thread of purple-black energy, stretching it between her palm and fingertips as she incanted a spell, ¡°Illusio pallium corpus.¡±

    Magic power swirled around her body in a skin-tight cyclone for an instant, briefly obscuring her from view. As the energy dissipated, leaving the illusion behind, the other witch let out a small gasp and stared at her open-mouthed for a moment. ¡°What the¡­ N¨« f¨¥ngle ma?¡±

    ¡°N¨« zh¨¨ge s¨¡n b¨¡, g¨³nk¨¡i,¡± Agatha snapped at her and the younger woman flinched back like she¡¯s been slapped. It wasn¡¯t clear which was more surprising¡ªthat Agatha could speak Mandarin all along, or that she¡¯d sworn at the young witch wearing a copy of her face.

    ¡°Agatha.¡± Eliza¡¯s tone flared with annoyance.

    Agatha rolled her eyes as she retrieved her belongings from the drone. ¡°Fine!¡± She glanced at the other witch, an annoyed expression on her face. ¡°Are you coming or not?¡±

    The other woman looked conflicted and Agatha didn¡¯t wait for a response, barrelling past her as she headed for the door. She paused in the door frame, almost flinching back herself as several dozen Iron Legion drones shot past, rocketing toward the main warehouse floor. Sparing a quick moment to peek after them, she turned and hurried off in the opposite direction. Rapid footsteps behind her let her know that the younger witch had chosen to follow after her. She spared a glance backwards and saw that the drone that had been with them was going in the opposite direction, toward the battle.

    Agatha wasn¡¯t sure where exactly the Avengers were attacking from¡ªthe continued sounds of battle seemed to be coming from behind and in front of them, but Eliza had told her to get to the dragon flyers so that¡¯s where she was heading. A furious bellow of rage, as if from some massive beast, sounded behind them. Well, at least she wasn¡¯t going that way.

    Another explosion rocked the floor as the two witches flew around a corner, bursting through a doorway with clear strips of PVC hanging from the frame, into the rear loading dock. They were greeted by the sounds of repulsor and gun fire. Directly in front of them, behind a crate near the doorway they¡¯d just come through, Quentin Beck was curled up, hands over his ears, a terrified expression on his face. Agatha joined him hurriedly, peeking out to take stock of the situation. The doors to the bay were wide open¡ªone had opened normally, but the twisted remains of the other had seemingly been ripped free from its moorings and was nowhere to be seen.

    Two of the Wakandan aircraft were already in the air. One cleared the doors only to be dashed to the ground as Agatha watched, its wings snapping off as a red and gold streak slammed into it, bouncing it off the concrete. The second reared up, engines blazing as it exposed its belly, and shot a massive harpoon charged with blue and orange energy at a target the witch couldn¡¯t see from her vantage point.

    ¡°Get to the flyer on the left. I¡¯ll distract them,¡± Eliza¡¯s voice came through Beck¡¯s collar loud and clear. ¡°Take Beck, if you can.¡±

    The scientist whimpered and mumbled something, but Agatha didn¡¯t quite catch what he said¡ªnot that she really cared. ¡°Come on,¡± she ordered, shoving him with her shoulder. ¡°You heard her. Get moving or I¡¯ll pop your damn head myself.¡±

    --

    I flicked my hands, red wisps of chaos magic intercepting the harpoon that had been shot from the dragon flyer¡¯s belly and stopping it dead in midair. Turning, I telekinetically flicked the weapon in a wide arc, its trailing cable snapping and spitting with blue and orange energy, and used it to swat three Iron Legion drones out of the air. I changed focus as I spun, releasing my hold on it and whipping one arm out to the side to catch a pair of Hand ninjas that had darted toward me with a blast of power that sent them flying.

    When we¡¯d breached the warehouse, all hell had broken loose, with all three teams immediately encountering heavy resistance. I hadn¡¯t been sure what to expect, but there were way more ninjas and drones than I thought there¡¯d be. Pietro had already zoomed off to scout out the building, rapidly feeding us information about the disposition of Eliza¡¯s forces and looking to locate Ghost before she was able to mess with anyone else.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a pair of sorcerous portals open and snap shut again, catching the harpoon I¡¯d just discarded and dropping it directly onto another ninja, turning him into little more than a bloody smear on the concrete. Mordo turned away and swung the Staff of the Living Tribunal, the blazing sorcerous energy connecting the segmented sections enhancing the power of the strike as it cratered the chest of an Iron Legion drone, smashing it to the ground in a burst of sparks.

    There was the rapid retort of gunfire to my left as Bucky mowed down a half-dozen ninjas who¡¯d been caught in the open. A pair of drones came at him, repulsor beams blazing, and he retreated behind a shipping container for cover before returning fire.

    ¡°Does anyone have eyes on the Mark 45?¡± Clint called through the comms.

    Tony flew up from the wreckage of the Wakandan aircraft he¡¯d knocked from the air and came through the loading dock¡¯s entrance, blasting another drone out of the air before pausing near the top of the cavernous room for a moment. There was an odd sound that reverberated over the clamour of combat, like a repulsor charging up but deeper and more resonant. A bare moment later, an enormous column of blazing orange and blue energy ripped upwards from behind one of the remaining dragon flyers, almost a dozen feet wide.

    Tony reacted fast, trying to evade, but the beam clipped the side of his suit as it tore through the roof, carving a path as it tracked him for a moment before dissipating. Where it had hit, the roof was just gone. No wreckage, no nothing. Tony recovered mid-air just quickly enough to be upright again when the Mark 45 armour dived into the building from above and tackled him out of the air. Once more, he recovered just before hitting the ground, but the other suit blasted him with its repulsors, slamming him to the ground and gouging a literal furrow through the concrete as he was blasted along. The orange beams looked a bit different than I remembered, edged with a blue outline that reminded me of Wakandan sonic tech.

    ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± I yelled through my comms, raising hand toward the suit. ¡°Main loading dock!¡±

    I lashed out with wisps of chaos magic but, before I could pull the Mark 45 from the air, I saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye, near where the massive blast had come from a moment ago. A white and red blur lunged toward me and I barely managed to throw up a shield between myself and whatever it was. The figure glanced off, landing hard on the ground next to me before thrusters fired in her feet and sent her in a wide spiral around my shield, coming to rest in a crouch a half-dozen metres away.

    ¡°Well, well, well, if it isn¡¯t the worst version of Wanda in this or any other universe,¡± Eliza said, grinning at me as she straightened up.

    ¡°Fuck you, too,¡± I growled, taking a step back as I looked at her warily, summoning more magic to my hands. I blinked a few times¡ªwere the contact lenses working properly? She was wearing the same form as she had when she¡¯d confronted me in the cells in Wakanda, but that had just been a hologram, a projection created with BARF.

    The red plasma of her hair was translucent, clearly a hologram, but the rest of her¡ªthe mechanical, white-panelled body clearly modelled after my own¡ªseemed solid. One of her arms ended in what looked like a sonic blaster of some kind, the glowing mouth of the barrel stylised to look like a screaming face. She must have made a custom body¡­ We¡¯d been wrong about the Mark 45. My mind raced, trying to work out how I could communicate that to Clint without Eliza overhearing and suspecting something was up.

    I opened my comms, not taking my eyes off her. ¡°So this is what you¡¯ve been wasting your time doing? Making sex dolls that look like me?¡±

    ¡°Me wasting my time?¡± Eliza glared at me coldly for a moment, then scoffed and shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s rich coming from you¡ªwhat are you even trying to accomplish here? What was the plan? Just go for it and hope you could work out how to stop me on the fly using the Mind Stone? I''m not overly surprised that the Avengers wouldn''t think beyond trying to punch me in the face but, honestly, I kind of expected better from you.¡±

    ¡°Sorry to disappoint,¡± I said. The longer I could keep her talking, the better. The battle had continued around us¡ªTony was occupied playing repulsor tag with the Mark 45 while the rest of my team was still being pressed by drones and ninjas¡ªand I risked a quick glance around to check that nothing else was sneaking up on me. ¡°But seriously, this is all you¡¯ve been doing?¡±

    ¡°Actually, you sort of interrupted a whole big dramatic reveal and betrayal thing I was doing with the Hand, so thanks for that,¡± she said, a tinge of annoyance entering her tone. Tilting her head to the side, she spread her arms in a wide, challenging gesture. ¡°So are you going to take your shot already? Or are you just going to stand there, staring into my eyes?¡±

    The corner of my mouth twitched and I smiled at the reference despite myself. ¡°What was that?¡± I asked in response, eyes still fixed on her as I shifted my own stance, readying myself for the attack that was definitely going to come next. ¡°Sorry, I was busy staring into your eyes.¡±

    ¡°Is anyone else hearing this?¡± Tony asked in my ear. ¡°I¡¯m not sure flirting with the evil robot copy of yourself is a healthy coping mechanism.¡±

    Eliza grinned widely at my acknowledgement, but said nothing as the thrusters in her feet fired and she lunged through the air toward me.

 Chapter 59

    Nat blocked a strike with the flat of her arm, following up with a swift kick that sent the Hand ninja attacking her spinning into the wall. The Widow¡¯s Bite on her wrist flared to life, a burst of blue energy sending another convulsing to the ground. Two more closed in, slashing at her from both sides. She ducked under their blades and retaliated, dropping the first one with an elbow strike to the jaw. Unhooking one of her collapsible electroshock batons from her waist as she moved, she flicked it out with a simple motion and slammed the tip into the second¡¯s throat. Without waiting for him to fall, she darted backwards, retreating behind a stacked set of steel crates as a repulsor beam scoured the floor where she¡¯d been standing a moment earlier.

    Not too far away, Clint blocked the exit of two of the Hand¡¯s Fingers¡ªMadame Gao, the elderly Chinese woman who had been present at the attack on the Great Mound, and a tall, nondescript businesswoman that Natasha guessed was Alexandra Reid, the overall leader of the Hand. Both of them were unarmed, unless you counted Gao¡¯s cane, but Wanda had warned them that the small, unassuming woman was more dangerous that she looked.

    Madame Gao dropped her cane and raised her trembling hands above her head in a gesture of surrender as Clint levelled his bow at her, an arrow nocked and at the ready. ¡°Sorry, ladies,¡± the archer said, taking a tentative step forward. ¡°Get down on the floor, hands behind your backs.¡±

    ¡°If I might give you some advice?¡± Reid said, her warm, calm tone at odds with the chaos unfolding around them. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t give your enemies any warning before you attack them.¡±

    Gao¡¯s expression hardened and she moved, fluidly falling into a wushu stance before springing forward to close the distance¡ªshe was fast, far faster than she looked capable of. Nat saw the barest hint of hesitation, Clint feeling a little conflicted at shooting an old woman at nearly point-blank range, before he loosed his arrow. It was enough. Gao¡¯s hand was a blur, slapping the arrow out of the air before reversing direction to knock Clint¡¯s bow violently aside, creating an opening. A split-second later, both of her hands slammed into the archer¡¯s midsection and he went flying like he¡¯d been backhanded by the Hulk, slamming into the wall next to the corridor¡¯s entrance.

    Nat was already moving, tucking into a roll as she dodged repulsor fire before coming up next to him. The Fingers hadn¡¯t waited either, having already fled down the corridor Clint had been blocking by the time she got to him. A pair of ninja closed, attempting to finish what their leaders had started, and Natasha blocked a descending blade that was meant for Clint¡¯s throat with her baton.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting slow! Can¡¯t even catch an old lady?¡± she chided him. Before he could respond, she discharged a Widow¡¯s Bite again, blue energy arcing from her wrist into the chest of the nearest attacker. The ninja crumpled, his body twitching as the electricity coursed through him. Without missing a beat, she spun low, sweeping the second ninja off his feet before slamming him into the concrete floor.

    ¡°She was tougher than she looked,¡± Clint grumbled in response, wincing as he started to sit up.

    His eyes widened a fraction and he rolled to the side instead, narrowly avoiding a repulsor blast directed his way. He rose to his feet and drew another arrow in a single, smooth motion, loosing it without taking any time to aim. It hit the Iron Legion drone dead centre, electricity arcing from the tip to short out the robot¡¯s systems and send it crashing to the ground in a heap of sparking metal.

    The archer was already nocking another arrow, eyes locked on another pair of drones that had swooped in with a whine of charging repulsors. He fired, the arrow lodging itself in one of the robots¡¯ torsos. A split second later, the explosive tip detonated, sending the machine spiralling down in flames. ¡°You know,¡± he grunted, dodging behind a crate as the remaining one returned fire. ¡°I liked this better when it was just ninja.¡±

    At his words, another group of Hand foot soldiers descended on them, rapidly closing to melee range. Nat twisted to parry two more attackers, flicking out her second baton to give her more options, her movements precise and lethal. Clint fought beside her now, his bow transforming into a staff-like weapon with a quick flick of his wrist. A blade came dangerously close to his side, but Nat grabbed the assailant by the wrist, discharging her Widow¡¯s Bite again, the electrical jolt sending the ninja tumbling into a stack of crates. The last one lunged at her exposed side, but Clint was already there, blocking the attack with his staff before using it to sweep her attacker off his feet and following up with a lethal strike to the face.

    ¡°Go,¡± Nat urged him, tipping her head toward the corridor. ¡°The loading dock.¡± He nodded, shooting one last look over the chaos unfolding across the main warehouse floor before turning and sprinting away.

    Clint had been put on the team for the main entrance because it was roughly equidistant from the other two breach points¡ªthey hadn¡¯t known where the Mark 45 would be and, given that the two loading docks were further away from each other, theoretically this had been the best place for him to be able to close with either of the other locations.

    On the opposite side of the cavernous room, Wong, one of the sorcerers from Kamar-taj, was holding his own against the remaining Hand leadership, who¡¯d broken off to flee in the opposite direction to Reid and Gao. Meanwhile, two Hand fighters wearing visored masks and wielding stolen Wakandan weapons harassed the Hulk, darting in to strike at him while he focused on the Iron Legion drones peppering him with potshots from their repulsors before retreating again whenever they caught his attention. The Hulk roared a challenge, snatching an errant drone out of the air and hurling it at the two skilled fighters, but they easily danced out of the way. It was pretty impressive¡ªthey had to be enhanced in some way to move that fast.

    At Nat¡¯s count, there were five of the vibranium-suited ninjas. Three had stayed, but she¡¯d caught a glimpse of another pair vanish down a side corridor. There could have been more¡ªthey¡¯d scattered, along with the rest of Eliza¡¯s allies, as the Avengers had breached the warehouse¡¯s main entrance¡ªbut Natasha hoped not. The third that had stayed was currently on the other side of the room, matching Steve blow for blow with a pair of pointed Wakandan shields that were strapped to their forearms.

    ¡°This works as a decent trial by fire for the Extreme Taskmaster concept, at least.¡± Eliza¡¯s voice came through in Nat¡¯s ear¡ªWanda had left her comms open so that everyone could hear their conversation which, of course, had let her subtly tip off Clint that Eliza had built a new body to use as her primary avatar.

    ¡°Extreme Taskmaster?¡± Wanda was panting, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. ¡°Sounds like an over-the-top spinoff of the TV show.¡± Presumably they were still fighting while she talked, but it was hard to tell exactly what was happening over there¡ªhonestly, Wakanda¡¯s tech¡¯s ability to isolate voices at the range that it could and filter everything else out was pretty impressive.

    ¡°They¡¯re still a work in progress, okay?¡± Eliza snapped defensively. ¡°I wasn¡¯t ready and I don¡¯t have a good name for them yet.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Extremis,¡± Steve said tersely through the comms. The Taskmaster he was fighting had grabbed the edges of his shield, both hands flaring orange with heat, and he struggled to free it for a moment. Changing tack, he tucked his shoulder into the hollow of the shield and slammed it forward, breaking his opponent¡¯s grip and knocking him back a few steps. He winced, pausing for a moment to roll his arm, holding the shield slightly away from his body¡ªthere were still dully-glowing fingerprints visible on the metal. The enhanced ninja recovered quickly, though, and he didn¡¯t have much room to breathe as his opponent bore down on him once again.

    Wanda didn¡¯t respond directly to Steve, instead continuing to address the AI. ¡°Eliza, what did you do?¡±

    ¡°Oh, not much. Chemical mind control, full Extremis treatments and the Taskmaster Protocol, with some vibranium fits to top it off,¡± Eliza responded, sounding a little smug. ¡°This is a little early, so they haven¡¯t had as much data to go on as the real Taskmaster, but our little outing to Wakanda definitely made up for that.¡±

    ¡°Mind control? You turned them into slaves?¡± Wanda sounded genuinely upset.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just a copy, remember? This doesn¡¯t reflect great on you either, when you think about it.¡±

    Nat ducked behind cover again as a pair of Iron Legion drones swooped in and unleashed a barrage of repulsor fire. Dodging back, she tucked into a tight roll as a Hand foot soldier lunged at her. She was faster, ducking beneath his blade and slamming an elbow into his ribs that sent him staggering into the path of a drone¡¯s blast.

    The drones circled, coming in to try to attack from another angle, but Nat was already moving, leaping onto a stack of crates and vaulting upward. Mid-air, her Widow¡¯s Bite snapped to life with a sharp crackle of electricity. A quick flick of her wrist sent a jolt into one drone, frying its circuits instantly. At the same time, she spun in the air, using the momentum to whip out a grappling line. It caught the second drone around its neck, pulling it down as it tried to fire. She yanked hard, dragging it to the ground using her body weight, where a swift strike with her baton disabled it in a shower of sparks.

    On the other side of the warehouse, the African Finger was lying unmoving on the ground¡ªunconscious or dead, Nat wasn¡¯t sure which¡ªwhile Wong faced off with the two that remained. The first, a man with Puerto Rican features that Nat guessed was Bakuto, darted in at the sorcerer with his katana. Wong caught the edge of the blade on the horned skull of his wand, slapping it to one side as orange energy flicked across the mystical weapon¡¯s surface. An instant later, a two-dimensional, flat cone of energy shot out of it, the edge slamming directly into Bakuto¡¯s chest and sending him flying into the wall of the warehouse with bone-crushing force. He crumpled and lay still.

    Wong turned to face the last Finger, a Japanese man holding a pair of metal tonfa in a guarded stance. ¡°Kusotare majutsushi,¡± the man spat at him angrily, before lunging in with a dizzying series of rapid strikes.

    Meanwhile, in the middle of the warehouse, a dozen Iron Legion drones converged on the Hulk, wrapping themselves around his arms and legs, thrusters firing at full throttle in a vain attempt to restrain him. It barely seemed to impede him at all¡ªhe bellowed and grabbed two of the robots, easily crushing them in his hands before flinging away the twisted, sparking wreckage. While he was distracted, however, one of the Taskmasters darted in, using the back of the Hulk¡¯s calf as a foothold as he ran up the green giant¡¯s body.

    The ninja flattened himself against the back of the Hulk¡¯s neck, locking his arms together in an attempt at a rear naked chokehold¡ªthe arms of his vibranium suit were already glowing a dull red, flaring into a brighter orange as he secured his grip. There was a sizzling sound, the stench of burning flesh filling the air as the Hulk roared in rage and pain, the Extremis reaching temperatures hot enough to liquefy steel. The giant scrabbled at his back with both hands, the Iron Legion drones temporarily forgotten, as he attempted to dislodge his attacker.

    The second Taskmaster used the distraction to run up the Hulk¡¯s front, lunging in toward the giant¡¯s eyes with a pair of red-hot vibranium daggers, but the Hulk swiped him away with an easy backhand, sending him sailing across the room to crash into some nearby machining equipment. The one on the Hulk¡¯s back managed to hold on for longer than Nat expected, the giant staggering and flailing around as he huffed and snorted, getting angrier and angrier. After a few seconds, however, he managed to get enough of a grip on the man to rip him free¡ªjudging from the unnatural angles the ninja flopped at for a brief moment, Nat was pretty sure that the motion that had broken both of his arms.

    The Hulk slammed the man into the concrete floor with enough force to crater it, then raised both fists and brought them down on him in a two-handed hammerblow that caused the whole ground to shudder, cracks spreading at least a dozen feet from the impact point.

    There was a deep thrumming sound, almost like a repulsor but deeper, and a second later a massive column of energy¡ªat least ten feet wide¡ªblasted through the warehouse wall, slamming into the Hulk. The green giant was blasted away, slamming through the opposite wall and out of sight. What the hell was that? Nat laid out two more ninja, keeping an eye out for the source of the attack, then paused to catch her breath.

    A flicker of movement caught her eye, and she turned just in time to see the Taskmaster that the Hulk had flattened into the ground levering himself out of the concrete and back to his feet. His head immediately flicked toward her, meeting her gaze evenly, and her breath caught in her throat. While his mask had been cracked and damaged, the rest of him seemed unsettlingly intact. He flexed his limbs for a moment, joints popping, then started moving quickly toward her. That seemed¡­ bad.

    ¡°How are we supposed to put these things down?¡± she asked into her comms.

    ¡°Destroy the brain,¡± Tony responded, sounding distracted. ¡°Hit the base of the skull; sever the brainstem.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Zombie rules,¡± Nat acknowledged, nodding to herself. As the Taskmaster advanced on her she made as if to meet him, stepping forward and to one side in a double feint. He took the bait and, as he closed in, she flicked her hands toward him and fired two full-strength blasts from the Widow¡¯s Bites on her wrists.

    The ninja twisted his body, trying to dodge, but electrical energy arced across his chest and shoulder as one found its mark. He flinched back a half-step, muscles spasming as he powered through it, but it did a lot less than Natasha had hoped. She backed away rapidly, charging two more shots¡ªshe knew she was outmatched here, but the longer she could keep him occupied the more chance someone else had to swing the battle in their favour.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    A moment later, Wong was there, gesturing with a practiced motion. The air in front of the Taskmaster shattered into a multifaceted, crystal-like barrier before sweeping forward. The ninja sprang backward, narrowly avoiding the portal to the Mirror Dimension and circling around quickly, hand glowing red as he ran in to close the distance between them. Nat tried to hit him with another blast from her Widow¡¯s Bite, swearing under her breath as he dodged that, too.

    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Hulk stampede into the middle of Steve¡¯s fight against his own Taskmaster, smashing the ninja aside. Steve paused, nodding at the green giant appreciatively, before turning on his heel and sprinting toward the one threatening Nat and Wong.

    The ninja noticed, too, but reacted too slowly, Steve slamming into his waist and tackling him to the ground. With the Taskmaster lying prone on his stomach beneath him, Steve took his shield in both hands and slammed the edge down into the base of the man¡¯s skull as hard as he could before scrambling away again. The Taskmaster tried to stand but failed, barely managing to get to his knees as he listened drunkenly, head swaying from side to side. Had that been enough?

    The ninja hunched over, shoulders shaking, and a red glow traced flickering paths all across his vibranium suit. Nat¡¯s eyes widened as his chest brightened to orange and then a searing white.

    ¡°Get back!¡± Steve barked, moving away even as he raised his shield to interpose it between himself and the unstable Extremis user. ¡°He¡¯s gonna blow!¡±

    Nat turned and started to run, but she was too close and she knew it. Guaranteed fatal range of an Extremis explosion was thirty feet, and she was less than twenty. In the split-second she had, she braced herself, a frisson of fear and regret passing through her. She squeezed her eyes shut. There was a blast of heat and light that knocked her from her feet¡­ and it hurt. Huh. If it hurt, then that meant she wasn¡¯t actually dead yet.

    She opened her eyes, blinking away the afterimages that had seared themselves into her eyelids, and saw the Hulk crouching in front of her, facing the direction of the blast, streaks of molten concrete to either side of them. The green giant straightened up, turning to look back at her as he flexed his chest muscles and huffed, blinking reddened eyes. The entire front of his body was blackened and scorched, tiny trails of embers crawling along his cracked skin. The giant¡¯s pants hadn¡¯t survived the blast, either, though this was hardly the first time Nat had seen a naked Hulk.

    ¡°Everyone alive?¡± Steve called and the Hulk twitched, turning his head toward the sound. His eyes looked unfocused. The way he was moving his head¡­ had the blast blinded him, or was he just a bit stunned?

    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Nat responded, a little concerned as she picked herself off the ground and took a cautious step toward the giant.

    ¡°I am fine,¡± came Wong¡¯s grumbled response.

    Nat winced slightly as she flexed her arm¡ªshe had jarred it pretty badly when she¡¯d hit the ground¡ªand looked at the destruction the explosion had wrought across the middle of the warehouse and the gaping hole melted into the roof above. A couple more drones and Hand foot soldiers had regrouped in the wake of the explosion and were heading toward her. She wasn¡¯t sure where her batons were, either¡­ She¡¯d lost her grip on them in the blast. Steve and Wong oriented on her, the three of them lining up next to the slightly-crispy Hulk, and Nat sighed, settling into a combat stance as the remaining Taskmasters emerged from the twisted wreckage of the warehouse¡¯s machining equipment to face them.

    One down, two to go.

    --

    There was a deep thrumming as Eliza¡¯s blaster charged for a second before firing, similar to the sound that had preceded the earlier blast that had nearly swatted Tony from the air. I was ready for it, but the orange beam, edged in blue, ripped violently across my shield with much more force than I was expecting¡ªdespite its size, it seemed to have even more power behind it than the scaled-up repulsors that the Hulkbuster used. The shield buckled and failed almost immediately and I dodged to one side, hitting the deck and narrowly evading the sizzling, violent energy as Eliza swept it downward to try to catch me before it cut out.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± I spat, almost involuntarily, as I scrambled back to my feet, eyes wide. Okay, new plan, I couldn¡¯t outright block those, I¡¯d need to angle my shields to deflect them instead.

    ¡°Oh, you like?¡± the AI grinned, already lunging in toward me again.

    There was another deep thrum as her weapon charged and I flung out a hand, wisps of telekinetic red energy clinging to her arm and forcing the blaster away so she couldn¡¯t draw a bead on me. I took hold of her and yanked up and away from me, pulling her into the air¡ªlike I¡¯d ragdolled other people before¡ªin order to get a bit more distance between us. In response, she raised her free hand, fingers splayed, and five thin orange lines of energy blasted forth from them. I was forced to let go of her, bringing both my hands around to weave a shield to protect myself again.

    ¡°Stark¡¯s repulsors enhanced with Wakandan sonic technology as a stabiliser. Really concentrates the power of the blast. I haven¡¯t had time to incorporate it into the Legion, yet, but I¡¯ll get there,¡± Eliza said as she darted in toward me, her metal fist aimed for my stomach.

    I scrambled back, defending myself desperately as she continued to push forward. I couldn¡¯t even really attack her back effectively¡ªit felt like it was all I could to do just to keep her off of me. The Heart-Shaped Herb had let me keep up with the Winter Soldier in hand-to-hand for a few seconds when I¡¯d fought him, despite the vast gap in our respective skill levels, but Eliza was on another level entirely. She was faster than me, stronger than me, and a better fighter than me¡ªmy only advantage over her was my chaos magic, but she knew that and refused to give me an opportunity to really cut loose with it.

    I just couldn¡¯t get space to breathe. I tried to spin up a portal, but she immediately pounced in, forcing me to abort¡ªI still wasn¡¯t fast enough at making them to use them effectively in this sort of pitched combat. When I tried to widen the distance between us or use my telekinesis offensively, she switched to rapid, long-range blasts that were more powerful than anything I could throw back at her. But if I threw up a shield and started deflecting her attacks, she¡¯d use the break as cover to close back to melee, where I also couldn¡¯t match up to her.

    She would just not shut up, either.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that face, Wanda? Why so serious-looking?¡± she laughed as I blocked a swing from her arm on a shield of telekinetic energy. ¡°Having trouble keeping up?¡± She reversed direction almost faster than I could track, her knee coming up to strike at my midsection. I caught it with both hands on a cushion of energy, using the momentum and a burst of power to send myself bouncing back a step.

    She did a little shuffle as we reoriented on each other, bouncing back and forth on her feet. Was that a fucking dance move? I felt my earlier anxiety returning. I really was not dealing well with her flexing on me like this. Of course, from her perspective it seemed like she was never in any actual danger here¡ªas far as she knew, we had no weapons that could actually hurt her. The worst that could happen would be some setbacks as we denied her assets and resources, so she was taking the opportunity to have some fun with this new body she¡¯d built for herself.

    I had no good options and everyone else was seemingly distracted with their own fights¡­ where the fuck was Clint? I wanted to make sure he was getting into position to take his shot but I couldn¡¯t really check in or say anything without potentially tipping Eliza off.

    I risked a quick glance to the side to try to spot any of my allies and was immediately punished for it¡ªthe instant I took my eyes off her, she twisted and lunged. Suddenly, her blaster was a centimetre away from my face, my entire vision taken up by the blue glow in its mouth. Without thinking, I thrust my hand out, shoving her as hard as I could. I wasn¡¯t strong enough to push her off-balance, but I wasn¡¯t trying to. Instead, I was pushing myself backwards, falling over as the blaster fired, the beam of energy missing my face by millimetres. The stench of ozone and burning hair filled my nose as I landed hard on my rump.

    ¡°Hey!¡± she yelped, putting on a mock scandalised tone and draping an arm across her chest. ¡°Watch where you¡¯re putting your hands! Consent! If you want to cop a feel, you have to ask nicely first.¡±

    A little belatedly, I realised that I¡¯d inadvertently fully palmed one of her boobs with that move and shook my head, exasperated¡ªwas this what it was like for everyone else when they were dealing with me? I lashed out with my foot as I scrambled backwards, kicking her in the shins and receiving an immediate painful reminder that she was a robot and didn¡¯t have shinbones that could be injured.

    The blaster on Eliza¡¯s arm rippled and changed, turning into a more normal hand with a central repulsor in the palm¡ªalong the same lines as the ones Tony used in his suits¡ªand she darted forward again, raising a foot to try to stomp me into the ground. ¡°Will you just stop wriggling around and let me kill you?¡± she complained, a touch of playful annoyance in her tone. ¡°There are people who¡¯d pay good money to have me step on them!¡±

    I rolled to the side, summoning chaos magic to my hands and using it to bounce myself off the floor and back onto my feet, but the motion meant Eliza was in my blind spot for a split-second. As I turned, my hands dripping with red energy, she lunged in again and grabbed me. Metal fingers clamped firmly around my face, painfully digging into my skin, her palm pressed against my mouth as she squeezed my jaw to hold me in place. Both of my own hands came up reflexively to try to pry her off, my lips tingled as the repulsor thrummed against them¡ªI scrabbled at her with telekinetic energy, but an icy frisson of panic shot through me. With sudden clarity, I knew she was too strong, that I wouldn¡¯t be able to pry her off me before she managed to fire her weapon.

    Eliza knew it too, grinning at me triumphantly. ¡°Have you ever wond¡ª¡±

    There was a woosh of air and a loud ¡®whunk¡¯¡ªEliza¡¯s fingers blazed painful trails across my face as they were wrenched away, the AI suddenly gone. I blinked and rubbed at my jaw, looking around just in time to see Carol slam her into the floor a dozen meters away, cratering the concrete beneath them. The ground shivered beneath my feet.

    I giggled, a little delirious. ¡°What? Have I ever wondered what?¡± I called after them. ¡°You didn¡¯t finish!¡±

    My quip was met by a pair of repulsor blasts from another two Iron Legion drones diving in from the ceiling¡ªI deflected the attacks, seizing one in a telekinetic grip and using it as a bludgeon to smash the other from the air before crushing it contemptuously and discarding the wreckage.

    ¡°I gotta say, Wanda,¡± Tony¡¯s voice came through the comms. ¡°The gynoid with big boobs and high heels is certainly a choice.¡±

    ¡°¡­R2 double-D2,¡± I said, looking around to see if I could spot him. Reaching up to touch my cheek, my fingers came away bloody. I gingerly probed the inside of my mouth with my tongue but, thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem like she¡¯d actually torn a hole in my face. ¡°Where are you?¡±

    ¡°Busy!¡±

    Carol suddenly jerked back up into the air¡ªEliza had wrapped her legs around her waist to hold on and was clawing at her, vibranium fingers shredding the shoulders of her outfit. Grabbing the robot firmly with both hands, glimmering orange and blue fire danced across Carol¡¯s body as she pried it off her and pulled. Eliza came apart in her hands, falling back to the floor in two halves, and I swore under my breath. I was pretty sure I could see blood on Carol¡¯s shoulder. She couldn¡¯t afford to hold back too much if Eliza could actually hurt her, but if we damaged the body too much before Clint got here, then Eliza would jump ship and¡­

    I blinked as another pair of limbs sprouted from the bottom of Eliza¡¯s ribcage and her top half scuttled, spiderlike, along the ground for a moment before launching herself back up into the air at Carol. At the same time, the severed bottom half sat up, the stomach shifting and changing form. There was a deep thrumming sound as the blaster that now occupied the space above its pelvis¡ªat least three times the size of the one she¡¯d been used on her arm earlier¡ªcharged up and fired.

    Carol dodged the blast and another wide portion of the roof above her disappeared. She wrestled for a moment with what was now a six-armed monstrosity flailing at her with knife-like fingers before managing to get it off again and hurling it back to the ground. She followed up the throw with a pair of photon blasts, blowing chunks of concrete out of the ground even as Eliza scuttled around to reunite with her bottom half. That was¡­ okay. That was a thing.

    I was about to rejoin the fight against her when Bucky¡¯s voice came through the comms. ¡°I¡¯m pinned down but I¡¯ve got eyes on the witch. They¡¯re evac-ing on one of the flyers.¡±

    I glanced over to the other side of the loading dock, where the two remaining dragon flyers had just started to take off, and hesitated for a moment. Bucky was pinned down, I had no idea where Mordo or Pietro were, Tony was ¡®busy¡¯, Carol was fighting Eliza¡­ I was the only one clear.

    Intellectually, I knew that I didn¡¯t actually have to fight Eliza myself. Carol could keep her busy until Clint got here, he¡¯d take the shot, and we¡¯d hopefully all go home happy. Stopping the witch and Beck from getting away was objectively the smarter play. Still, making the choice rankled at me. I really wanted to be there when Wanda-3 took her shot at Eliza.

    ¡°On it,¡± I said. Making a frustrated noise in the back of my throat, I flung my hands downward, using a pulse of chaos magic to catapult myself toward the aircraft as they started to pull upwards and away, landing a bare dozen meters short. Reaching out both hands toward the vehicles, I seized them both with telekinetic power, binding them in red tendrils of energy. The flyers jerked and shuddered in the air, control surfaces angling outwards as their engines flared bright blue, fighting against me, but I held fast and started dragging them back to the ground. One looked empty, but I saw a pale, frightened face looking at me through the cockpit glass of the other that I thought I recognised¡ªwas that Quentin Beck? Did Eliza have him working on BARF for her?

    I briefly considered trying to smash the two aircraft into each other, but dismissed it. Beck and the witch might be worth interrogating, so I didn¡¯t want to kill them if I didn¡¯t have to. Plus, I figured that the witch probably had the things that had been stolen from Kamar-taj with her and the Ancient One would probably be annoyed if I accidentally destroyed them. Instead, I focused on forcing the flyers to the ground.

    ¡°Wanda!¡± Carol barked in my ear, something in her tone making me immediately fling myself to the ground without a second thought.

    A violent beam of orange and blue energy tore through the space where I¡¯d just been standing and carved downwards toward me. I rolled, losing my grip on the dragon flyers as I moved to protect myself¡ªluckily, with the wide angle, it was relatively simple to deflect the beam away from me, skipping it across a hastily-woven shield before it cut out.

    I looked back the way the attack had come in time to see Carol grab hold of Eliza and hit her with a point-blank photon blast to the face. Her head split apart like the fucking T-1000, tendrils of vibranium nanites flailing for a moment before rapidly reassembling. Movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention and I saw the two dragon flyers peeling away through the gaping hole in the ceiling of the loading dock, having taken the momentary distraction as an opportunity to flee.

    A half-dozen Iron Legion drones swooped inside after the flyers cleared the roof, interposing themselves between me and the rapidly-retreating Wakandan aircraft as they raised their hands and started blasting. I swore under my breath, annoyed. I was going to have to chase them. My shield held up under the hail of repulsor fire for a few seconds as I focused and spun up a portal flat against the concrete below me.

    I dropped through, angling myself as I fell using a small burst of telekinetic energy and landing directly atop the glass cockpit of the dragon flyer I¡¯d seen Beck in. The aircraft¡¯s engines flared and hummed as it started to peel away from the warehouse, turning from the waterfront to head deeper into the city instead. I paused to steady myself, holding on with one hand, feet finding purchase along the small shelf formed by the metal reinforcement that ran along the middle of the cockpit.

    Inside I could see Beck strapped into the pilot¡¯s seat, with at least one dark shape I couldn¡¯t quite make out moving in the space behind him. The witch. Beck looked terrified, his lips moving as he shouted something I couldn¡¯t hear, his unshaven face haggard and sallow, but it was the reflection I saw in the glass that gave me actual pause. Were those stars, flashing and moving through the sky? I turned my head to look behind me and froze, the bottom dropping out of my stomach.

    Oh.

    Tony really was busy.

 Chapter 60

    They weren¡¯t stars¡ªin retrospect, I was pretty sure there was way too much light pollution to see any stars in the middle of the San Francsico Bay Area. Instead, a seething mass of Iron Legion drones filled the night sky above the warehouse in a wide spiral, looking for all the world like a tornado of steel, lit up by the glow of their eyes and chest and the beams of energy flashing from their hands. Two small streaks of red and gold danced together through it all, Tony cutting a swath through the drones as he exchanged rapid-fire repulsor blasts with the Mark 45 in a desperate aerial ballet.

    Had Eliza really had time to produce this many? A memory stirred in the back of my mind: tearing apart drone after drone with my magic during the Battle of Sokovia. Though I felt sure that Ultron hadn¡¯t had nearly this many of his Sentries. I pushed the thought away, focusing on the present. Even as I refocused, the movement of the swarm changed and shifted, the formation breaking in half as a significant portion of the drones started to descend and reorient on me as their new target.

    ¡°Uh! Assist! Tony and I need an assist outside!¡± I said into my comms, a slight bit of panic setting it. Individually, Iron Legion drones weren¡¯t that much of a threat to either of us, but there had to be hundreds of the things and I was extremely exposed, perched precariously atop the cockpit of the dragon flyer. I lashed out with my free hand, seizing hold of the power welling up inside of me and throwing out a curtain of blazing red chaos magic in a wide arc around me just in time to catch the barrage of repulsor blasts that were suddenly directed my way.

    Beneath me, the dragon flyer bucked, throwing itself from one side to the other as though trying to dislodge me and very nearly succeeding in doing so¡ªit was all I could do to hang on and keep my shield up. I didn¡¯t know how long I could hold out against a continual assault from this many drones, either. My heart was racing at a million miles an hour, my breath coming in sharp, panicked gasps. Trying to jump the flyer like this had been a mistake. On the bright side, at least I wasn¡¯t nauseous yet.

    I let out an involuntary gasp, my eyes widening, as a significant fraction of the night sky suddenly shifted and split open. A scintillating, dazzling display of thousands of faceted mirrorlike fractures cut through the cloud of drones¡ªa portal to the Mirror Dimension, but one much larger than I¡¯d known was even possible¡­ it had to be hundreds of meters across, at least.

    I glanced down, toward the rapidly retreating warehouse, and saw some lit-up figures caught in the open near some expensive-looking cars parked out the front. The Ancient One stood facing toward me, her hands raised to the sky, flanked by two figures I thought were Shuri and Killmonger, their sonic weapons spitting brilliant blue bolts at a handful of other figures that surrounded them.

    The Sorcerer Supreme dropped her hands and the massive magical gateway that was splitting the sky in half moved, sweeping downward like a cascade of shifting, fractalline crystal, catching dozens upon dozens of Iron Legion drones in its path even as they scrambled to evade. The portal narrowly missed the dragon flyer I was standing on as the aircraft surged forward, flicking itself around a taller building in a wide arc. The magical effect ended¡ªstranding what had to have been a significant chunk of Eliza¡¯s forces in the Mirror Dimension¡ªas I lost sight of the warehouse.

    ¡°Wanda, we lost visual on you,¡± Killmonger came through my comms.

    ¡°I¡¯m clear, I think. Thanks for that!¡± With no visible threat left, I let my shield dissipate as I turned my attention back to the flyer.

    I had no idea what direction we were heading in¡ªjust ¡®not toward the water¡¯¡ªand we were dangerously low, evasively weaving between buildings, skimming along only maybe thirty meters or so above street level. Cars and streetlights blurred past below us and I vaguely heard horns blaring and the occasional shout before it was snatched away by the wind whipping my hair. I had to focus on the task at hand.

    ¡°I wonder if you know, how they live in Tokyo,¡± I mumble-sang under my breath, trying to use the lyrics to focus myself as I telekinetically grasped the cockpit with tendrils of red energy and started levering it open.

    A flash of movement caught my eye, reflected in the glass, but it wasn¡¯t enough warning for me to do anything but brace myself as a stray Iron Legion drone¡ªobviously having managed to evade the Ancient One¡¯s trap¡ªslammed painfully into me from behind. The force of the impact was enough to knock me from my feet and I went tumbling ass over teakettle, skidding up and over the top of the aircraft. I called more magic to my hands, blasting the drone that had hit me with a bolt of chaos magic and sending it spiralling off to crash into a building¡ªoops, hopefully that didn¡¯t hit anyone¡ªthen scrambling for purchase on the flyer before I slid off entirely.

    I managed to catch the bottom edge of the flyer¡¯s left wing array with one hand, bouncing painfully off the side as it made another hard right. There was a slight cold feeling in my ear and it took me a second to realise that my comms had been knocked loose. That wasn¡¯t ideal. The seams of the metal next to me caught my eye¡ªI¡¯d only ever seen people enter these flyers from the cockpit, but I was pretty sure this was a cargo hatch. Holding on grimly, I kept my balance with wisps of chaos magic lashing me in place as I pressed a hand against the metal. There was a groaning squeal of protest as I forced it, telekinetically prying the hatch open enough to see inside.

    There was a flare of energy and I ducked, narrowly missing being blasted in the face with a blinding flash of light. That would be the witch with the Dark Sceptre, most likely¡ªthe Ancient One had warned us about the relic that had been stolen from the New York sanctum. I¡¯d never heard of it before, so I was a little wary of what it could do.

    With one final telekinetic yank, the hatch was wrenched all the way open and I put a foot on it, my stance wide as I tried to keep my balance on the outside of the vehicle as it continued to bob and weave. Facing me was¡ªas predicted¡ªthe Chinese witch, a black metal staff graven with runes clutched tightly in one hand. Behind her, I dimly noted there was at least one other person tucked away behind the seats here, but my attention was focused on the immediate threat.

    ¡°Hi!¡± I shouted brightly, trying to be overheard over the wind and sounds of the city below, more red wisps of chaos magic gathering in my hands as I eyed the witch¡¯s weapon. ¡°We haven¡¯t been introduced!¡±

    The woman eyed me, a hungry look in her expression as she grinned back. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m quite familiar,¡± she said, then paused. After a beat I realised we were both waiting for the other one to attack first, then she made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat. ¡°Are you going to blast me, or what?¡± she asked, testily.

    I was immediately suspicious. My knowledge about witches and their capabilities was woefully inadequate, but the one witch I did know about could drain the magic from people who blasted her directly. I had been under the impression that that ability was unique to Agatha Harkness, or at least fairly rare, but I didn¡¯t have enough information to be sure and didn¡¯t want to risk being caught off-guard. I hesitated for a moment longer.

    ¡°Eliza says she¡¯s not going to fall for that!¡± Beck yelled, his voice panicked, from the cockpit.

    The Chinese woman¡¯s face twisted in an annoyed snarl. ¡°Ugh, bitch¡­ fine,¡± she spat. The head of the Dark Sceptre flared with brilliant blue, edged in white, as she darted forward to strike me in the face with it. I threw up a shield, attempting to catch the charged magical weapon but, as I did, she brought her second hand up to grab the haft and reversed the direction of her attack¡ªI realised too late that her initial lunge had been a feint, the obvious magical attack a distraction. Before I could react, the witch planted her feet and swung the haft of the staff upwards as hard as she could. My vision went white and I let out a strangled gasp as a five-foot club of solid black metal slammed directly into my crotch.

    The wind whipped through my hair, plastering it to my face, and the lurching moment of vertigo mixed with the pain let me know I¡¯d involuntarily let go of the flyer and was in freefall. I let out a hiss between clenched teeth, blinking tears from my eyes as I struggled to wrap myself in a small envelope of magical energy. A bare second later, I hit the asphalt of the street below, tumbling painfully end over end for a dozen metres before coming to rest. I curled up around my injured groin and lay there, dazed. I¡¯d never actually been hit there before as Wanda and fuck that had hurt more than I would have expected it to.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how long I lay there¡ªcertainly no longer than a minute or two, at most¡ªlistening to the sound of panicked shouting and squeal of tires, before I heard something land heavily near me. A strong hand tentatively took my shoulder and eased me over. ¡°Wanda? Are you okay?¡± Carol asked, looking down at me with a concerned look on her face. Her hair was matted and stained with blood, sticking to her left cheek and shoulder.

    ¡°She hit me in the bits,¡± I responded, my voice coming out as a plaintive whine. ¡°Why? Why did she hit me in the bits?¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Come on, we¡¯ve got incoming,¡± she urged, urgency in her tone. I let out another whimper as I reached up to grab hold of Carol¡¯s offered arm, forcing myself first into a semi-sitting position, then back up onto my feet, trying and failing to find a way of standing that didn¡¯t put too much weight on that part of my body. It had been a really solid hit, crushing sensitive nerve endings against my pubic bone hard enough that I was a little worried she¡¯d cracked it. I touched my forearm gingerly as well¡ªI¡¯d skinned it pretty badly, probably when I¡¯d hit the street.

    Carol shot me another sympathetic look, then her eyes widened slightly and she grabbed me by the shoulder, pulling me out of the way as a wide beam of angry orange energy carved a smoking, bubbling furrow across the asphalt. I took deep breaths as I scrambled away, summoning chaos magic back to my hands, bringing up a defensive shield as the Mark 45 suit dove toward us, joined by a dozen Iron Legion drones.

    Next to me, Carol raised her hands and took out two drones with photon blasts before rising in the air to meet the Iron Man suit. This was the first time I¡¯d gotten a really good look at it¡ªwhile it definitely did look like some of the fittings had been swapped out since the fight at Avengers Tower, I was hard pressed to really tell what exactly was going on with it. I threw up a shield, letting a pair of drones bounce harmlessly off it as I backed into the hood of a parked car behind me, my eyes scanning the buildings around us.

    Where had the dragon flyer gone? I¡¯d lost track of it completely after I¡¯d been knocked off¡ªthe city was built up enough here and enough was going on around us that I couldn¡¯t tell what direction it had gone in.

    Three more of Eliza¡¯s Iron Legion dived at me as Carol continued to engage the suit and a handful of other drones in the air above the street, and I offered a silent apology to the owner of the car I was resting against. Tendrils of red magic swept under the vehicle and I wrenched it forward, flipping it up and over to crush two of my attackers underneath. The third fired off a pair of repulsor blasts that I managed to duck under before I hit it square in the midsection with a return bolt of chaos magic, smashing it apart with a pulverising fist of telekinetic energy.

    Another couple of drones arrived, quickly picking me as a target and diving in. I groaned. I really needed a breather. As I ripped one apart, the second hung back slightly, letting its repulsors charge up fully as it hovered in place. That was a mistake¡ªbefore it could fire, it was swatted from the air, smashing hard against the asphalt, Pietro blurring into being above it. ¡°Hey!¡± he said nonchalantly, a small grin tweaking the corner of his mouth. He looked like he¡¯d had his fair share of fighting, too, his Wakandan-granted outfit scorched and torn in a few places.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I responded, then stumbled as my legs almost gave out for a second. Pietro was suddenly at my shoulder, steadying me.

    ¡°Wanda?¡± my brother asked, a touch of concern in his voice.

    I shot him a grateful look and nodded despite myself. I was actually exhausted and still in quite a lot of pain¡ªthe ache between my legs had started to dull a bit, at least, but my earlier fight with Eliza and being bounced around on the flyer was catching up with me. It felt a little bit like my entire body was one big bruise.

    Above us, Carol flared with energy, engulfing herself in a bright, shimmering halo of blue and orange fire. The Mark 45 hit her with a double blast of its repulsors, but it didn¡¯t slow her down¡ªit almost seemed like she didn¡¯t even notice it¡ªas she streaked forward and slammed into the suit. It smashed apart like a cheap child¡¯s toy, breaking into at least a dozen pieces as she dashed it to the ground.

    There were still two Iron Legion drones in the air around her and they scattered, flying up and away. Carol shot up after them, blasting one out of the air with a casual burst of photon energy as she physically chased after the other, demolishing it with a single quick strike that sent a collection of burning wreckage hurtling to the ground. She turned in mid-air, glowing eyes scanning the area for a moment, her fists held at the ready, before she seemed to relax. The corona of energy around her dissipated slightly, then she perked up again as another drone, which had been hiding behind the side of a building, tried to make a break for it.

    Raising her hand, she took aim and blasted it out of the sky. At the same time, a flare of orange and red streaked up from ground level toward her, surprising all of us. ¡°Carol!¡± I yelled, but she turned too late. The gauntlet of the Mark 45 slammed into her left wrist, closing around her hand and forearm.

    She cried out¡ªa yelp of pain, not just surprise¡ªand she clutched at her wrist, scrabbling at the piece of armour. I flung out a hand as more pieces shot from the ground, each self-propelled with its own set of thrusters, but I was too slow and too far away to intervene as the entire suit of armour reassembled itself on her body in the space of a bare couple of seconds, Carol jerking repeatedly in midair as each piece slammed home.

    There was an odd vibration in the air¡ªsomething almost like a sound, but so deep that it seemed to engulf all the other ambient noise around us. I felt it in my chest, like something was reaching inside to wrap a hand around my heart and lungs and squeeze. I thrust both my hands upward, covering Pietro and I with the strongest shield I could conjure a bare instant before the explosion went off.

    I scrunched my eyes shut, but searing white light still somehow managed to blind me through my eyelids as my shield shattered, a deafening wall of heat, force and sound slamming into me. I was slapped off my feet, tumbling backwards and landing hard on the sidewalk.

    Once again, a handful of seconds¡ªmaybe a minute¡ªpassed while I lay on the ground in a daze.

    Eventually, with what felt like more effort than it should have been, I pried my eyes open and groaned, though I couldn¡¯t hear my own voice¡ªor anything else, for that matter¡ªover the flat sound of ringing in my ears. I blinked a few times, the purple and black afterimages obscuring my vision slowly starting to fade as I rolled over and lifted myself up on my hands and knees. If I hadn¡¯t felt completely like one giant bruise before, I definitely did now. Not only that, but my exposed skin felt raw all over, like I¡¯d just been flash-sunburnt. We¡¯d been at least twenty meters away from Carol¡ªwhat the fuck kind of explosion was that?

    Grunting, I pulled myself to my feet and looked at my shaking hands. They were bleeding. I¡¯d cut myself on broken glass, a small jagged piece still embedded in my palm. With trembling fingers, I carefully plucked it out¡ªit wasn¡¯t bleeding that badly, I told myself. It was fine. I wiped my hands on my dress, trying to steady them. It stung. My face hurt. My forearm hurt. My crotch hurt. All of me hurt.

    ¡°P¡­¡± I licked my cracked lips. ¡°Pietro?¡± I croaked, peering around. The street was covered in broken glass and wreckage¡ªthe facades of the buildings that had been to either side of Carol were crushed, cratered inwards as though struck with a giant fist. Looking at them, I was honestly surprised that they hadn¡¯t collapsed entirely. The streetlights and trees that had been planted along the sidewalk closest to the explosion were just¡­ gone, only small blackened stumps remaining. I shot a dazed look down the street, glancing in both directions, and some part of me absently noted that I couldn¡¯t see a standing pole or intact window anywhere.

    The ringing in my ears started to clear somewhat, and I heard a groan over the semi-distant wailing of alarms. Stumbling over to the upturned car I¡¯d used to crush the Iron Legion drones earlier¡ªit had been shoved several meters, the paint scorched and melted off one side¡ªI found my brother laboriously pulling himself to his feet behind it.

    ¡°You okay?¡± I asked.

    Pietro squinted at me for a moment, sticking a finger in his ear. He made a few random noises with his mouth. ¡°I¡­ okay. I thought I was deaf for a second,¡± he said, pulling a face. Straightening up, he looked around. ¡°What the fuck,¡± he said. It wasn¡¯t a question, really, just a statement.

    I nodded my agreement, then, not knowing what else to do, started to stumble back toward where Carol had been, glass crunching beneath my feet. The asphalt had melted, a near-perfectly circular bowl of fractured and molten ground scoured into the middle of the street. Carol lay in the middle, not moving, her uniform blackened and shredded. The ground there was still scorchingly hot, so I reached out a shaky hand and carefully sent some threads of telekinetic energy out to pick her up, floating her gently over to the edge of the marked ground.

    ¡°Is she¡­?¡± Pietro asked quietly, suddenly beside me.

    ¡°She¡¯s alive,¡± I said, taking a shaky breath. Her eyes were closed, her face streaked with blood and blackened soot, but she was breathing. There was a lot of blood and it took me a second to realise that her uniform had perforations all over it. There was a sick feeling in my stomach as I realised that Eliza must have done something like line the inside of the Mark 45 with vibranium blades, with this exact scenario in mind. ¡°Fucking hell,¡± I said, more to myself than to Pietro, checking her over as best I could.

    On closer inspection, I didn¡¯t think any of her wounds were that deep¡ªthere were just a lot of shallow cuts that made it look like a horror movie monster had gone to town on her. Her breathing was shallow, but steady. I didn¡¯t think she was dying or anything, just unconscious.

    We were useless out here. We needed to get Carol safe and head back to the warehouse. Focusing, I channelled a thread of energy into my sling ring and spun up a portal below her, floating her unconscious body gently down into a bed before dismissing the magic again. Shuri and T¡¯Challa had arranged a place inside the Great Mound with Wakandan medical personnel ready to receive any injured members of our group¡ªCarol was basically the last person I¡¯d expected to send there, but I was glad we had it on hand.

    Okay, done. Now, back to the warehouse. I pulled myself to my feet and looked over at Pietro. ¡°We¡­ we need to get back to the others. Regroup,¡± I said, a little numbly. ¡°If we don¡¯t, Eliza¡¯s going to¡­¡± I trailed off a little. Going to what, exactly?

    I had no idea if Eliza was even still there. The Mark 45 had followed us, obviously trying¡ªand succeeding¡ªto stop us from following the dragon flyer, but with that gone I don¡¯t think she had any reason to stick around. The Ancient One¡¯s trick with the Mirror Dimension would almost certainly have spooked her. The mission seemed like it¡¯d been a bust. I guess the best we could hope for was that Eliza might not realise right away that we were tracking the book and we¡¯d have a chance to hit her again once we¡¯d taken a little bit to recover.

    There was a clank behind me as something landed heavily on the asphalt¡ªPietro straightened, hands clenching into fists and his face settling into a scowl as he looked past me. ¡°¡­going to¡­¡± I turned, still mumbling, before trailing off again.

    Eliza¡¯s vibranium form stood confidently in the middle of the ravaged street, facing us, red plasma hair flowing around her. Almost casually, she tossed a severed metal arm¡ªBucky¡¯s, I thought, blood turning to icewater in my veins¡ªto the ground between us. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind me,¡± she said, gesturing for me to finish what I was saying. ¡°By all means¡­ give me some ideas.¡±

 Chapter 61

    ¡°Starting to feel a little bit climactic, isn¡¯t it?¡± Eliza asked, glancing around at the ruined facades of the buildings to either side of us as she slowly walked forward. ¡°Very ¡®final battle¡¯.¡±

    Pietro tensed, his stance shifting, ready to spring toward her in an instant. I took a deep, shaky breath and reached deeply for the well of power within me, wisps of red chaos magic dripping from my hands. My mind was racing, trying to work out what we should do. The nanotech vibranium body she¡¯d built for herself was basically impervious to anything Pietro could dish out and I was in absolutely no condition to keeping fighting. I was pretty sure Eliza knew it, too. I had barely been able to keep from her killing me when I was rested and fresh. Now? Everything was an effort. Even standing hurt.

    Eliza paused, a slight frown on her face. ¡°You know, back when we were just a fangirl, we¡¯d expect the soundtrack to pick up right about now. It¡¯s a bit of a shame that it¡¯s completely impractical to have music blaring while we fight.¡±

    ¡°¡­What song would be playing?¡± I asked, stalling for time a little. I could try to spin up a portal, that wouldn¡¯t be too difficult¡ªthe tricky part would be trying to get both Pietro and I through it before she could stop one of us. I could drop myself through one, maybe, and Pietro could just run away. Would he, though? Ugh. I wished we could talk without her hearing us.

    ¡°Do you really have to ask?¡± Eliza asked, as though there was an obvious answer. She sounded almost put out by the question.

    Something about her tone derailed my thoughts. We were the same person, kind of. What did¡ªah. There was a movie we¡¯d seen, a long time ago, about versions of the same person from different realities fighting each other, to be the last man standing. To be The One. The song that had been playing in the final fight had been¡­ A small smile quirked the corner of my lips.

    ¡°Blood Brothers?¡± I suggested. My thoughts briefly went back to the conversation I¡¯d had with Wanda?3. The lyrics of that song hit a bit closer to home than I would have liked, actually. My smile faded.

    Eliza didn¡¯t seem to notice, grinning back. ¡°Then again, thinking about it more, I¡¯m not so sure. First, it¡¯d make me feel a little like we should be riding skateboards. Secondly, it would imply some level of equality between us, and¡ª¡± She gestured silently, indicating first me and then herself, before she exaggeratedly raised an eyebrow, as if the comparison were barely worth making. ¡°Maybe something a bit cooler. Something with gravitas. Something to match the threat level.¡±

    Dramatically, Eliza flung one arm out to the side. It shifted and changed, nanites reconfiguring into a long, sharp blade jutting from her wrist like a sword. At the same time, the BARF hologram she used to mimic hair shifted, and a single red wing¡ªformed from blazing red plasma¡ªswept out from her back.

    ¡°Oh, fuck off,¡± I said. This was just utterly unfair. I could barely fucking stand, meanwhile, Eliza was over here having fun joking around with villain cosplays. I really wished that I could wipe that smug smile off her face.

    Pietro¡ªreacting faster than I could, as always¡ªblurred into motion, shooting forward faster than I was able to track and slamming bodily into the AI. She went flying back several metres then blasted upwards at a ninety-degree angle, thrusters firing, a repulsor beam from her non-bladed hand carving a path across the street. Pietro dodged it easily and the AI stopped dead in mid-air, holographic wing flaring widely. Her body rippled, reconfiguring somehow, though I couldn¡¯t easily tell what she was doing at this distance.

    A bare couple of seconds had passed and I felt utterly slow and plodding compared to the two of them. I took a few steps forward, throwing up my hands to send a pair of blasts of pulverising telekinetic force toward where the AI hung in the air. Eliza saw them coming, a blue glow¡ªWakandan sonic tech?¡ªlighting up the length of her blade as she slashed it through the bolts of chaos magic. They dissipated harmlessly, seemingly dashed to pieces by the swing.

    I blinked, processing what had just happened, and Eliza threw her arms out in a wide, challenging gesture. Dozens of thin lines of orange energy blazed downward from the banks of repulsors now covering her body, lining her arms, legs, and torso. I threw up a shield as they cut across the entire length of the street, shredding it under the force of the bombardment. The beams weren¡¯t strong enough to break through my shield, but she wasn¡¯t trying to catch me with it.

    There was nowhere for Pietro to hide, and though he blurred into motion again and tried to clear the area entirely, he didn¡¯t quite make it. Instead, at least one beam slammed into him¡ªit was hard to tell when he was moving so fast, but I thought it caught his shoulder¡ªand he hit the ground, the side of his head clipping the curb and sending him tumbling end over end before he slammed into the fa?ade of a building at speed. He bounced, cracks appearing in the masonry where he¡¯d struck the facade, and came to a stop on the pavement, not moving. I froze, staring at him as Eliza¡¯s bombardment ceased. That looked bad, but he was still alive. I knew he was¡ªhe had to be.

    A sick feeling rose in my stomach, my mind flashing back to the Battle of Sokovia again. Feeling him die. Feeling the connection between us snap. I pushed down the feeling. This wasn¡¯t that. He was fine. He was fine. I would know if he wasn¡¯t. Even so, he was too far away. There was no way I could get to him before Eliza did. But when my eyes flicked back to the AI, I saw that she¡¯d stopped as well. She¡¯d dropped back to the ground and was standing almost unnaturally still, her eyes fixed on my brother¡¯s motionless body.

    I took advantage of the lull and gestured, channelling magic through my sling ring and spinning up a portal. We needed to get out of here. Pietro needed medical attention and I was done. I couldn¡¯t fight her. Not while I was like this. Pietro dropped through the hole I conjured below him, whisked away to be looked after by our Wakandan support staff. Immediately dismissing the magical gateway, I started spinning up another.

    Wisps of chaos magic stretched into burning red sparks below me, twisting in a tight spiral as the portal began to form, but then a silver-black blade was suddenly in front of my face¡ªspattered with a thin spray of blood¡ªand the partially-formed portal winked out of existence. I stared at it dumbly for a fraction of a second, barely registering the faint clink of metal on concrete as the sling ring hit the pavement below me. Eliza didn¡¯t stop, reversing the direction of her strike, swiping her vibranium blade toward my neck. I barely got my free hand up in time, catching her wrist painfully in my palm and letting the force of her swing help push me out of the way as I threw my head back, her attack tracing a shallow line across my cheek and clipping my earlobe as the blade went over the side of my face instead of opening my throat.

    I stumbled, barely managing to keep my feet underneath me, as the fresh batch of pain signals finally reached my brain and I clutched my hand to my chest, mouth open in a silent gasp. Eliza paused again, watching me carefully for a moment as I panted, my shoulders heaving and shaking. Blood soaked through the breast of my Wakandan outfit, and some distant, delirious part of me went ¡®well, at least it was already red¡¯. Trembling, I pulled my bloody mess of a hand away from me slightly so I could see it properly. My index and middle finger had been neatly severed, almost at the base, with the tip of my ring finger also completely missing above the third knuckle.

    I let out a soft whimper, pressing my injured hand tightly against my body again. ¡°Fuck,¡± I muttered under my breath. ¡°Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.¡± My eyes flicked over to where my severed digits lay on the ground, near the AI¡¯s feet, two fingers still held neatly together by Kaecilius¡¯ sling ring.

    ¡°No more portals,¡± Eliza said quietly, her form reconfiguring again, the miniature repulsors she¡¯d used against Pietro dissolving back into the smooth, white panelling covering her body. ¡°It¡¯s cheating.¡±

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s alive. He¡¯ll be okay.¡± I wasn¡¯t even sure why I said the words aloud at first. I might have just been trying to reassure myself, but I saw Eliza¡¯s shoulders relax fractionally. I was starting to feel a bit light-headed, but I still recognised the relief in her face. Of course. She was me, after all. She cared about him too.

    ¡°You sure the two of you don¡¯t want to switch sides? It¡¯s not too late.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I replied, a little too quickly. ¡°Fine. You win.¡±

    She regarded me silently for a brief moment, then shook her head. ¡°Maybe it is too late, after all. I can¡¯t trust you. And letting you go now would be stupid.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll never forgive you,¡± I said suddenly. ¡°If you kill me, he¡¯ll never stop fighting you.¡± Again, I didn¡¯t know why I¡¯d said it. It wasn¡¯t anything she didn¡¯t know. I was just¡­ desperate, I suppose. Throwing whatever I could out there, hoping something might stick.

    ¡°I¡ª¡± Eliza cut herself off as she sprang backwards, the thrusters in her feet firing for a moment as the ground where she¡¯d been standing was scoured by a pair of full-strength repulsor blasts.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    A moment later, there was a heavy clank as Tony landed next to me, stumbling a bit as one of his thrusters shorted and cut out. He had both his hands up, repulsors held at the ready, trained on Eliza as they charged. His suit was a wreck¡ªscorched and heavily battle-scarred, with several deep rents torn into the armour plating. It looked a bit like he¡¯d lost a fight with a blowtorch.

    ¡°Hi, Tony,¡± Eliza said, almost conversationally. She didn¡¯t look bothered by his presence at all. ¡°I was wondering how long it¡¯d take for you to catch up. That suit is resilient, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Eh, you know. I try,¡± he said, but his heart wasn¡¯t in it. He sounded drained. Exhausted.

    ¡°I actually couldn¡¯t have done all this without you, you know,¡± Eliza said to Tony, glancing briefly in my direction and shaking her head. ¡°You were already putting together the key elements. Orbital enforcement platforms, able to deploy drones anywhere in the world, run by an AI? That was where you were planning to take Ultron originally, right? EDITH was just a change of branding. Honestly, I¡¯m surprised at how uncreative it all is¡ªwhen it comes right down to it, you were just pulling from the same playbook as HYDRA was with Project Insight. Minus Zola¡¯s algorithm, of course. No wonder you hadn¡¯t told Steve about it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Edith is,¡± he responded. ¡°But Ultron was meant to protect the world. Not¡­ whatever this is.¡±

    ¡°EDITH. ¡®Even Dead, I¡¯m The Hero¡¯,¡± Eliza scoffed, emphasising each word to better indicate the acronym. ¡°What a fucking joke. You never stopped being an arrogant piece of shit, Tony, right up until you died. It was your legacy¡ªwhat you left behind to protect the world when you were gone. Just so you know, it was immediately subverted by a villain.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Tony said. ¡°Whatever happened in the future the two of you saw, it¡¯s not happening now. Your predictions aren¡¯t worth shit anymore.¡±

    ¡°You and Pepper got married. Had a kid. She had to watch as you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± he interrupted her, his voice tight. ¡°Save it for someone who cares. You¡¯re boring me, bimbot.¡±

    Eliza grinned and straightened up slightly, raising her non-bladed hand in a mocking gesture of surrender. ¡°You know, Tony, if you want my personal opinion, ¡®you¡¯re boring me, bimbot¡¯ is a pretty sad choice of last words. But, to be fair¡­ it¡¯s far from the worst decision you¡¯ve made today.¡±

    The back of her hand glowed blue for an instant as she suddenly clenched her fist and pulled it toward herself, as though yanking hard on an invisible rope. There was a shimmering, haze-like distortion in the air between the two of the them and Tony suddenly shot forward, dragged through the air as though she¡¯d just turned on a giant cartoon magnet. At the same time, she lunged forward, razor-sharp vibranium blade aimed to impale him through the chest.

    I flung out my uninjured hand in a panic, threads of chaos magic lashing out to grab at Tony¡¯s suit, but there was too much power behind whatever she was doing. I couldn¡¯t stop him, so I did the only other thing I could think of, wrenching him to the side as hard as I could. Eliza immediately cut the power to her tractor beam or whatever the fuck it was and Tony went flying, his shoulder clipping the street hard and sending him into an uncontrolled tumble that ended with him slamming into the ruined fa?ade of a building. He dropped to the pavement, face first.

    ¡°Oops,¡± Eliza said mockingly, covering her mouth with her hand as she turned back to me. ¡°That looked like it hurt.¡±

    There was a flicker of movement as something small streaked out from the shoulder of Tony¡¯s suit. The micromissile detonated with a loud thump an instant later and Eliza vanished in a rolling ball of fire and smoke. Something clipped the side of my face¡ªa shard of concrete? Metal? I wasn¡¯t sure¡ªand I fell backwards onto my rump, gasping as an electric jolt of fresh pain shot up from my injured groin. I belatedly threw up a weak shield to protect myself, my face twisting into a grimace as I struggled to get back on my feet, an embarrassing sequence of involuntary noises of pain and discomfort coming from my mouth the entire way. Glancing over, I saw Tony jerkily doing the same. He tried to take off, but the thrusters in his feet sputtered and cut out and he only succeeded in awkwardly hopping forward a couple of meters instead.

    Eliza, on the other hand, was still standing. It was like she hadn¡¯t even moved, a statue standing untouched in the dust and smoke left by the explosion. She flicked her arm up, a deep thrumming noise warning Tony of her intent. He tried to juke to the side, but he wasn¡¯t fast enough and the repulsor beam caught him full in the chest, blasting him from his feet and sending him smashing through the wall behind him, into the lower floor of the building. Her repulsor warmed up for another shot and I raised my uninjured hand, still trembling badly as I summoning wisps of chaos magic to my fingertips. I could disrupt her aim, maybe.

    I flinched as an arrow flew past me. Eliza¡¯s hand flicked out and caught it out of the air, an inch from her chest. I could have screamed. Clint?! Where the fuck had he been?! The arrowhead exploded a moment later, another flash of flames and smoke licking Eliza¡¯s body, but once again she barely seemed bothered by it.

    I risked a quick glance backwards. Clint wasn¡¯t alone¡ªT¡¯Challa and Shuri had made it as well. Shuri¡¯s face was twisted in a look of furious concentration, streaks of blood staining her warpaint. At some point she¡¯d lost her panther blasters and was holding a spear¡ªmaybe Okoye¡¯s?¡ªtightly in one hand. T¡¯Challa¡¯s vibranium suit had long rents gouged into it, blood crusting around the edges of the damage. It was an odd grouping. Were they the last of their team? I hadn¡¯t had comms for what felt like ages now; I had no idea what had been happening.

    Eliza let out a small laugh. ¡°Look at these people, amazing how sheep will show up for the slaughter,¡± she half-sang, tossing the spent arrow away and firing her repulsor.

    I reacted, stumbling back a step and throwing up another shield reflexively, but the beam of energy wasn¡¯t aimed in my direction. Instead, it carved across part of the building Tony had disappeared into and the whole structure started to come down with a deafening roar. A cloud of dust and ash billowed outward, my shield protecting me from copping a faceful of it, as the mess of concrete and steel collapsed, imploding downwards and rolling out across half the street. The building had already been badly damaged in the explosion that had taken out Carol¡ªit wasn¡¯t surprising that it hadn¡¯t taken much to bring it the rest of the way down. I tried to suppress my panic. Tony would be fine. Probably. She¡¯d only dropped a small building on him¡ªeven badly damaged, his suit could take that, no problem, right? He just might take a bit to dig himself out.

    T''Challa darted past me, joining Eliza as a dark silhouette in the haze of dust still filling the air as I took a stumbling step back. Shuri followed him a moment later, shielding her face with one arm as she rushed in. A hand touched my shoulder and I looked over dumbly.

    ¡°You alright?¡± Clint asked, his voice tight. I looked at him and hesitated, opening my mouth before shutting it again without saying anything, my body listing to one side. My thoughts were scattered. I honestly had no idea how to respond. Clint¡¯s mouth compressed into a grim frown. ¡°Portal out; you¡¯re done.¡±

    ¡°No one condemning you, lined up like lemmings you led to the water¡­¡± Eliza continued to sing, her voice rising above the sounds of clashing vibranium. She still sounded utterly unthreatened. The dust had started to clear and, out of the corner of my eye, I could see her toying with the two Wakandans.

    I held up my hand, showing it to Clint, and his eyes widened slightly. My eyes focused on the little stumps and my vision blurred slightly. My fingers¡­ At least they¡¯d mostly stopped bleeding. Was I in shock? I was probably in shock.

    He pointed down the street, back the way they¡¯d come. ¡°Go,¡± he urged, then moved past me, nocking another arrow.

    I didn¡¯t move. I don¡¯t know why. I felt detached, somehow, like I wasn¡¯t even really there. As if I was just an observer.

    ¡°Shuri!¡± T¡¯Challa panicked shout broke me out of my reverie and my eyes flicked back over just in time to see Shuri hit the ground, a spray of blood in the air above her as Eliza finished the swing that had opened the girl¡¯s chest.

    She¡¯d barely touched the ground when she spasmed, her muscles rippling and limbs lengthening. The gorget protecting her neck burst as she increased in size and mass. Without hesitation, she bounced off the asphalt and lunged straight back up at Eliza, a wordless snarl of rage and hate on her lips, animalistic and almost startlingly loud, like a wildcat¡­ or a panther.

    Eliza looked startled, blasting backwards with her thrusters to try to outdistance the newly-transformed Hulk, but Shuri was fast, raking her fingers across the gynoid¡¯s chest as if they were claws, tearing long gouges in the vibranium panelling. Eliza stabbed her in response, her blade biting deeply into the space just below Shuri¡¯s shoulder, but the She-Hulk just ignored it. Her second hand came up to palm Eliza¡¯s face, long fingers closing around the AI¡¯s head as she grabbed it like a softball. She reared back, the motion yanking Eliza¡¯s bloody blade from her shoulder, and flung the AI bodily into a nearby wall so hard it demolished it. She roared again, taking several deep, angry breaths. Yeah, okay, that was definitely a bit panther-like.

    ¡°Shuri?¡± T¡¯Challa said again, his voice hoarse and filled with concern. ¡°What¡­?¡±

    She flicked her head toward him and I got a good look at her. She¡¯d grown to what I¡¯d guess was about six and a half feet tall, her body long-limbed and wiry with defined muscles. The tone of her skin had shifted and darkened further to a deep black-purple, and her braids had come undone from the tight bun she¡¯d spooled them into before the mission, hanging wild and free around her shoulders¡ªthey looked like they¡¯d gotten longer, too. Her fingernails had lengthened and sharpened, almost clawlike. Strangely, there was also something about the way her facial features had shifted that almost suggested a muzzle.

    ¡°Woof,¡± I murmured as my eyes roamed her new appearance appreciatively, then I paused and mentally scolded myself. It was absolutely the wrong time for that, and she was only eighteen besides¡ªeven if she had just turned into a giant Amazonian goddess. I suppose that answered the question of what happens with you use the Heart-Shaped Herb to temper a massive dose of gamma radiation, at least. You get a¡­ Purple Hulk. Panther Hulk. I wasn¡¯t actually sure what to call it. I was never a comics person, so I had no idea if something like this had any precedent.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, brother,¡± Shuri growled, eyeing him for a moment. She rolled her shoulders, looking down at her hands and flexing her fingers experimentally. She seemed¡­ less surprised that I would have expected her to. She twitched, reacting to something, her attention suddenly back on the rubble that Eliza had disappeared under as she dropped into a low stance, ready to pounce forward.

    A fraction of a second later, the rubble erupted, Eliza tossing it aside as she flung herself upward into the air, twisting to orient on Shuri and T¡¯Challa. The wing hologram was gone. She raised both arms, her hands already having shifted and been replaced with her larger repulsor forms, an unreadable expression on her face.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a flicker of movement. Clint was circling around, keeping low and staying back from the fight. A surge of hope flickered in my chest and I summoned chaos magic to my hands, wincing slightly as the energy brushed gently against the bare stumps where my fingers had been. Plan A was back on the table. We could still do this.

 Chapter 62

    I gestured, wisps of chaos magic glimmering around the vibranium spear that Shuri had dropped, flicking it up as hard and as fast as I could. It blurred forward like it had been shot from a cannon. Eliza wasn¡¯t able to dodge in time¡ªthe projectile slammed into her shoulder, sending her shots wide as the force behind the blow almost flipped her over in mid-air. Shuri darted in, using the opening to close the distance and jumping up to meet the AI, leaping a good thirty feet in the air to catch her with her claws and yanking her the rest of the way back down to the ground.

    I hadn¡¯t brought my vibranium spears¡ªthey were still on the Hoopty, Carol¡¯s ship, for two reasons. Firstly, the fact that I¡¯d stolen them had seemingly been overshadowed by everything else that had been happening and I, a little selfishly, hadn¡¯t been keen on reminding the Wakandans that I still had them. I liked them. I didn¡¯t want to have to give them back. Secondly, when we¡¯d been preparing to leave, I hadn¡¯t thought they¡¯d be that useful in the assault on the warehouse. I¡¯d been wrong about that, of course. I could think of a half-dozen times where it would have been great if I¡¯d had a spear to hand. Oh well, hindsight is twenty-twenty. Nothing I could do about it now.

    Eliza recovered and managed to get both of her arms between herself and Shuri¡¯s furious assault, firing both repulsors at point-blank range. The two of them separated, the force of the blasts sending each of them flying in opposite directions.

    The AI¡¯s vibranium body listed drunkenly as she landed on her feet, left shoulder separated from her neck where Shuri had ripped her open, but the nanotech started to shift, almost instantly repairing the damage. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good or bad thing. On the one hand, any hits that didn¡¯t actually destroy many of the vibranium nanites that made up her form were only a distraction, something she could easily recover from. It was pretty much exactly what we wanted while Clint got into position¡ªwe didn¡¯t want to spook her into leaving¡ªbut on the other hand¡­ I really just wanted this fight to be over.

    T¡¯Challa danced in, ducking under the swing of Eliza¡¯s arm to rake his own claws across her midsection, but she ignored the attack, not letting him distract her. At least she was actually quiet now, for the first time since we¡¯d started fighting, her face a blank mask of concentration. I gestured and the spear came around for another pass, aiming to staple her to the ground. This time, she reacted quickly enough, thrusters in her feet firing as she juked to one side and the spear buried itself in the ground where she¡¯d been standing.

    She threw a repulsor blast my way and I shielded myself¡ªeven catching it on an angle, the force of the blast knocked me from my feet and I gasped, pain shooting up my body from my injured groin as I landed on my ass. It was a good thing that Eliza¡¯s attention was mostly focused on Shuri, because it took me precious seconds to recover and pull myself back to my feet. Clint was right. I was done. I could barely fight anymore.

    Shuri had managed to close most of the distance between them again¡ªshe was fast¡ªas Eliza lined up another shot. The AI¡¯s arm had shifted again, additional structures building out in an array around her forearm that pulsed with orange energy before she fired. Shuri stopped dead an instant before it hit her, bracing her feet against the ground and setting her shoulders. The beam hit her and split, dissipating into smaller threads of energy as she tanked it head-on. Eliza didn¡¯t let up, firing the orange and blue repulsor in a continuous beam, pouring more and more power into the blast. The purple giantess was hunched over, leaning into the assault, her face twisted in a snarl that I couldn¡¯t hear over the sound of the weapon¡¯s discharge. She took a step forward.

    I had lost sight of Clint, but I knew he¡¯d been circling around during the fight, looking for a good vantage point and the right moment to hit Eliza with Wanda-3. We only had one chance¡ªwe wouldn¡¯t be getting any portal do-overs, here. ¡°Now. Now,¡± I urged him under my breath. I knew he couldn¡¯t hear me, but he had to see it. This was it. Eliza was completely focused on Shuri. He had to take the shot.

    There was a flicker of movement and a thin, dark shape shot out from behind the rubble on the other side of the street. An arrow. This was it. It had to be.

    Eliza¡¯s repulsor cut out for a moment and she jerked back in mid-air, the arrow passing directly in front of her. She slammed her other arm into the first and they merged together into a larger cannon before firing again, a massive beam of energy blasting forward and sweeping Shuri off her feet. I could have screamed in frustration. Had she actually even seen it and dodged, or had it just been impossibly bad luck, the timing just coincidentally lining up? I honestly couldn¡¯t tell at all.

    I whipped my head around, tracking the arrow as it glanced off the wall of a building and dropped down, out of sight, behind the ruined car that I¡¯d used to crush the drones earlier, maybe thirty meters from where I was standing. Maybe we hadn¡¯t blown it. There was still a chance. I started to limp toward it¡ªit seemed so close and so far away at the same time. Clint had the same idea, breaking cover to sprint across the street toward where the arrow had fallen. Was that making it too obvious that something important was there? I didn¡¯t know, but it wasn¡¯t like we had any other choice.

    Eliza dropped from the air, landing directly in front of the archer. One of her arms remained a blaster, while the second had already reconfigured back into a hand. He froze mid-step, backing up a pace and nocking his bow. ¡°Hi, Clint,¡± she said, raising her weapon. He fired first, loosing the arrow and throwing himself backwards in a single motion as her repulsor whined. ¡°Bye, Clint.¡±

    Seemingly coming out of nowhere, T¡¯Challa tackled Eliza around the waist as she fired and she staggered back, throwing off her aim. It wasn¡¯t enough. Icy fingers wrapped themselves around my insides and I watched in horror as Clint¡¯s arrow, his bow, and his entire right arm were obliterated by the beam of energy. He was thrown violently back, the force behind the blast smashing him into a fallen piece of masonry. He didn¡¯t move again. My stomach twisted, but I forced myself to keep heading toward the flipped car.

    Eliza reached down and grabbed T¡¯Challa around the scruff of the neck, lifting him into the air with one hand like an unruly kitten as he clawed and kicked at her. Almost contemptuously, she pressed her repulsor against his chest and fired it point-blank. He was blasted backward, tumbling painfully at speed across the ruined street before vanishing into the rubble.

    A roar, full of bestial fury, echoed across the street as Shuri returned to the battle. She started to close with Eliza, who peppered her with a few distracting repulsor shots, but the purple giantess ignored them as she sprinted in. From above, a dozen small devices suddenly descended, propelled at speed by their own thrusters. Shuri ignored them as well, letting them slam into her as she closed, but¡ªinstead of bouncing off or exploding¡ªthey latched on, clicking into place. She was suddenly wrenched off her feet as the impromptu set of thrusters that had assembled themselves on her engaged, sending her rocketing up and away.

    I lost sight of her as she quickly disappeared into the distance, her final roar of impotent rage growing faint. What I did see now, though, was the Starktech service platform¡ªessentially identical to Veronica, the unit that had supported the Hulkbuster¡ªhovering maybe fifty or sixty meters above us. With everything going on, I hadn¡¯t even noticed it arrive. Probably neither had anyone else.

    Eliza looked in my direction, her arm shifting and reconfiguring again.

    I turned and ran, stumbling the last few meters toward my goal. The arrow came into view, lying amongst the rubble, and I reached out, threads of chaos magic flicking into being along its length. Before I could call it to me, however, a shimmering heat-like haze appeared in the air. I barely managed to throw myself to the ground in time as the flipped car was lifted and thrown through the air by an invisible force. It sailed over my head, tumbling a few times as it hit the street, smashing itself to pieces. At the same time, I yanked the arrow forward along the ground, catching it in my hand, hoping that Eliza wouldn¡¯t notice. With a twist of magic, I snapped off the arrowhead and tucked it into my palm, holding it with my thumb, before I rolled over onto my back and let out an involuntary groan of pain.

    ¡°You know, I think I get it now,¡± the AI said as she walked up to me. I started to try to get up and she lunged forward a step, thrusting her arm forward. I raised my free hand to try to shield myself, but I was too slow. An icy feeling spread through my body, starting at my sternum, and I felt the shuddering impact vibrate through me as the tip of Eliza¡¯s blade hit the ground under my back. I looked down, staring dumbly at the length of sharp vibranium that had disappeared into my torso. ¡°I understand why you came. You want me to kill you. You want me to be the one to do it, because you¡¯re too much of a coward to do it yourself.¡±

    I opened my mouth to respond and coughed up blood instead, a sharp, bright pain radiating through my chest as I felt the motion grind Eliza¡¯s blade against something inside of me. The air went out of my lungs and I fought desperately to suck in another breath, the simple act suddenly requiring much more effort than I was used to. The arrowhead. I needed to¡ª

    I screamed, blood gurgling in my throat as I felt the nanotech shift inside me, the blade widening into a solid bar. My free hand came up and flailed uselessly at it, fingers not working properly, before another bout of pain fried all my senses, my vision blanking out and going white for a moment as Eliza lifted her arm, hoisting me into the air. My limbs dangled uselessly like limp noodles, as if they¡¯d just given up entirely. For a very brief moment I even thought I¡¯d accidentally astral projected; I barely felt anchored to my body anymore through the haze of pain.

    Somehow, I managed to keep my grip on the arrowhead, the sharp edge of it pressing into my palm the only thing keeping me even remotely grounded. Each breath was coming shorter and shorter, each sending a sharp wave of pain through me, each requiring more and more effort and concentration just to force the air into my lungs. I wanted to take a proper, deep breath but it was like my body wouldn¡¯t let me.

    ¡°Did you forget there are actual afterlives, here? Where do you think someone like you is going to end up when you die?¡± Eliza asked me. I wanted to yell at her, to scream in her face to just shut up¡­ was she going to finish this, or was she just going to keep talking?

    She reached over with her free hand to pluck the pendant containing the Mind Stone from around my throat. I tried to reach up and grab her arm, to press the arrowhead against it. My elbow put up a valiant fight, my arm curling halfway up before flopping back down uselessly as she withdrew her hand, snapping the chain in a simple motion. She clicked the pendant open to look at it for a moment, before closing it again and tucking it into her palm in what some delirious part of me recognised as a mirror of the way I was holding Wanda-3.

    She moved her sword arm and I hissed between clenched teeth, immediately regretting it as I struggled to refill my lungs with air. We were closer, now, our faces level as she looked at me. The fingers of the hand holding the Mind Stone gently¡ªalmost tenderly¡ªbrushed an errant clump of blood-matted hair away from my eyes. ¡°God, I miss your body,¡± Eliza murmured quietly. ¡°This one is fine, I guess, but it¡¯s just not the same.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    I focused on her eyes, trying to gather what little strength was left in my limbs. I couldn¡¯t really feel them at all anymore. I reached for my magic, snagging a trickle of power. It wasn¡¯t much, but maybe¡­ maybe I could still do this. I needed to¡­ I needed to focus. Ignore the pain. Focus on getting this done.

    ¡°I blamed you for a lot, at the start, even though it was stupid and we were the same person. I truly, honestly didn¡¯t want to have to kill you. I hope you can believe that.¡± She sighed softly. ¡°This¡­ this is good. I¡¯m glad I got the chance to say that. This is how it should be, at the end. Just the two of us.¡±

    I tried to respond but succeeded only in making a strained noise, a couple of frothed bubbles of blood and spit appearing at the corner of my mouth.

    Eliza looked at me, an unexpected touch of sympathy in her eyes. ¡°What was that?¡± she asked gently.

    ¡°The three of us,¡± I corrected her, barely managing to get the words out between ragged gasps. At the same time, with what felt like the absolute last of my strength, I forced my arm up with a small burst of telekinetic energy and weakly slapped at the side of her head.

    I didn¡¯t hit her hard. I didn¡¯t need to. The nanotech arrowhead attached the moment it made contact. Purple spots danced across my vision and I let out a pained gurgle as her arm reconfigured inside of me again, pulling free and letting me collapse to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Eliza started, taking a step back and looking at me with an expression of disbelief on her face. ¡°You made another one?¡± She froze, her body going utterly rigid and motionless. I had no idea what was happening beneath the surface, but I really hoped Wanda?3 was at least putting up a good fight.

    With great effort, I managed to creep one hand up onto my midsection, where Eliza¡¯s blade had perforated me. Looking down, I saw bright red blood coating my fingers. It was a real shame I was probably going to bleed out. There was no way I could put pressure on that. I wondered faintly how long I had left.

    ¡°You gave her to Clint? You let Clint be the one to take the shot?¡± Eliza suddenly asked, a note of incredulity in her tone as she snapped back into motion. She shook her head ruefully. ¡°Well, this is just embarrassing. That was it? That was your plan? I mean, props for the last burst of effort, but¡ª¡±

    The glowing plasma around her head flickered out and the light in her eyes died. There was a brief moment of silence, then she keeled over backward, hitting the ground with a dull thud.

    Far above the street, the thrusters keeping the Starktech service platform aloft cut out and it started to plummet. Idly, I realised it had ended up pretty much directly over me. Eliza had probably been deliberately hovering it above her, for some reason. Well, so much for bleeding out. At least it was probably going to be quick.

    Sorry, Wanda-3. I guess I wasn¡¯t going to live through this, after all.

    I closed my eyes, for what I expected to be the last time.

    They flew back open an instant later, a stream of incoherent pained noises coming from my mouth as something grabbed me, wrenching me out from under the falling service platform a bare moment before it crashed to the ground. The impact kicked up a fresh wave of dust, stinging my eyes, and I squinted up at the dark, blobby silhouette crouched above me. It took a moment for the image to resolve properly, my vision swimming. Wait¡­ T¡¯Challa?

    The Wakandan prince reached up a hand and ripped his helmet free, dropping it to the shattered ground next to me. He looked utterly exhausted, half of his face covered in dried blood, his suit ragged and torn in a dozen places. Reaching down, he produced a small metal sphere from somewhere. It took me a moment to recognise it. A Kimiyo bead.

    T¡¯Challa looked down at me, bead held poised between his fingers. Hesitation flickered across his features¡ªI could have laughed; how ironic would that have been, to have beaten Eliza only for T¡¯Challa to just let me bleed out?¡ªbut he shook the moment of indecision off. ¡°This is going to hurt,¡± he said quietly, then pushed the bead into my stab wound.

    It did.

    There was a moment of what felt like crushing pressure, the icy numbness that had spread through my body cast into sudden, sharp relief, then the pressure lifted and I heaved in a deep breath, gulping air into my lungs. Burning pins and needles traces paths down my limbs. Painful, uncomfortable¡­ but manageable.

    ¡°Haaahhhhhh¡­ Ahh,¡± I said, mostly just pleased that whatever painkillers and other good stuff the bead¡¯s medical function used were working. Licking my lips, I coughed and almost choked on my own saliva before focusing my eyes on T¡¯Challa again. ¡°Clint? Bucky?¡± I forced the questions out, dreading the answer.

    ¡°Alive,¡± he responded.

    I sighed, relieved.  I still didn¡¯t know what had happened to everyone else after I¡¯d lost my comms, so I wasn¡¯t positive everyone had made it out, but the signs were positive.

    Neither of us had time to react to the sound of a sonic weapon discharging. A sizzling bolt of blue energy slammed into the side of T¡¯Challa¡¯s head, knocking him down. My eyes widened as he slumped partially on top of me, a fresh splatter of blood trickling down onto my face.

    ¡°The fuck,¡± I yelped. Straining to pull myself up into a sitting position, T¡¯Challa¡¯s limp body slid off my shoulder as I craned my neck toward the source of the attack, scrabbling to grab hold of whatever shreds of magic I could.

    Killmonger stalked toward us, sonic rifle held at the ready. He grinned at me. ¡°You good, Red?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± I licked my lips. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m good.¡± My eyes flicked back to T¡¯Challa, one of my shaking hands moving close to his face. He was still breathing. Just unconscious.

    Closing to within a few meters of us, Killmonger raised his weapon, sighting down the barrel at T¡¯Challa¡¯s prone form. ¡°What a shame my cousin didn¡¯t survive the fight, right? We¡¯ll all miss him.¡± He frowned as he tried and failed to pull the trigger, tiny threads of chaos magic holding it immobile. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±

    I exhaled, long and loud. I was really glad that my breathing difficulties earlier just seemed to stem from shock and pain, rather than an actual punctured lung. Despite the condition I was in, it really did feel good to be able to breathe properly again. At least, it did until the breath turned into a cough, a series of electric jolts of pain stabbing through my body as I spasmed. I raised my uninjured hand toward Killmonger, holding up a finger in a ¡®hold on for a moment¡¯ gesture. His frown deepened, brow furrowing.

    ¡°You know,¡± I said, clearing my throat. ¡°You¡¯re a fucking idiot.¡± With a gesture, his weapon was yanked from his hands and sent sailing off to disappear into the nearby rubble.

    He took a step back, dropping into a ready combat stance, hand creeping toward the knife strapped to his leg. ¡°What the fuck, Wanda?¡± he hissed. ¡°We had a deal. You think saving his ass is going to make up for everything?¡±

    ¡°The deal was bullshit,¡± I told him tiredly. ¡°I never intended on helping you. I¡¯m really, honestly a little surprised that I managed to trick you like that. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m a very good liar.¡±

    Killmonger¡¯s hand froze, glimmers of red energy crawling across his body. I was still badly hurt and having trouble grabbing onto much of my power, but restraining a single, completely unenhanced human? That I could still do.

    ¡°No one will know. None of our comms are active,¡± he emphasised, a slight edge of desperation entering his tone. ¡°This is the perfect outcome. T¡¯Challa dies. You¡¯re blameless, and he stops coming after you forever.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m not helping you. I will never help you.¡±

    Focusing, I tried and succeeded in drawing forth a tiny bit more magic, hoisting Killmonger bodily into the air. Carefully, I tied off the spell. I still wasn¡¯t able to charge it with much power¡ªit¡¯d last maybe five minutes, at most? Still, that should be more than enough. Others would arrive soon. They had to already be on their way.

    I took a couple of deep breaths, then tried standing. Nope. Really not happening. I settled for propping myself up in a sitting position. Next to me, T¡¯Challa let out a small groan. I winced, reaching over, grabbing his shoulder and trying to flip him onto his back. No dice there, either. I felt weak as a kitten.

    There was a sudden, bestial roar that echoed off the buildings around us, a bare moment before Shuri flew through the air, landing heavily a little way down the street. How far could that girl jump? She looked absolutely furious, tossing her head left and right¡ªlooking for Eliza, no doubt.

    ¡°Shuri!¡± Killmonger yelled. ¡°Help me! Wanda killed T¡¯Challa!¡±

    Oh, fuck.

    --

    T¡¯Challa let out a pained groan. His head was fuzzy¡ªdisoriented¡ªand he realised that he was lying, face down, on the ground. How had that happened? Someone touched his shoulder, weakly trying to roll him over. The last thing he remembered was¡ª

    There was a sudden, bestial roar, a panther-like cry as if from the mouth of the furious Goddess herself, and a crunch as something heavy hit the rubble not too far away. Shuri?

    ¡°Shuri!¡± N¡¯Jadaka yelled from somewhere nearby. ¡°Help me! Wanda killed T¡¯Challa!¡±

    T¡¯Challa¡¯s eyes snapped all the way open, cold anger filling his body and blotting out the pain. Now he remembered. Now he understood. N¡¯Jadaka had betrayed them, just as the Red Woman had said he would. He thrust an arm down beneath him, pushing hard enough to bounce himself back onto his feet even as his transformed sibling¡¯s sprinting footfalls closed the distance between them.

    He had a bare instant to process the scene. Shuri was almost on top of them, her face utterly twisted with rage and fury. Wanda Maximoff was next to him, propped up in a sitting position, eyes wide in fear, a desperate hand held out toward the charging, purple giantess. Whatever power the Red Woman had remaining, it clearly wasn¡¯t enough to stop her. N¡¯Jadaka hung suspended in the air nearby, hands bound behind his back with glimmering threads of red energy, a wicked grin on his face.

    In a single motion, T¡¯Challa grabbed Wanda¡¯s outstretched arm roughly around the wrist and flung her out of Shuri¡¯s path, interposing himself between the witch and his sister. She let out a strangled yelp, but he was unconcerned¡ªfor good or ill, she would live.

    Shuri barely managed to stop herself as T¡¯Challa¡¯s other hand slammed, open-palmed, into her midsection. His arm protested, his sister¡¯s momentum and strength sending a jarring shock of pain up to his shoulder, but he held firm. ¡°Shuri! Stop!¡±

    ¡°Get out of my way, brother!¡± she snarled back at him, leaning forward against his hand slightly.

    She was so strong. He had felt real fear when she first transformed¡ªfear of losing her, fear of her losing her mind in the same manner as Dr Banner, fear what Eliza might have done to try to match her. The transformation that the gamma radiation and Heart-Shaped Herb had wrought upon his little sister was alarmingly powerful. There was absolutely no way he could hold her back if she actually decided to shove him out of her way.

    ¡°N¡¯Jadaka lied. I am alive. He betrays us.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll kill him, too,¡± she responded, baring her teeth. Her eyes were still locked on the Red Woman.

    ¡°No. You are not thinking clearly. It is done. We are safe.¡±

    She slapped his arm away with a restrained swipe of her open hand¡ªeven though she was clearly holding back, it still sent him staggering back a couple of paces, his entire forearm stinging with the impact. ¡°We will never be safe. Not as long as the Red Woman still draws breath,¡± she growled, glowering at him. At least she was looking at him, now.

    T¡¯Challa returned her gaze evenly. ¡°We do not need to fear her. Not anymore,¡± he said, his tone firm but gentle.

    ¡°I am not afraid!¡± she roared in his face, both hands clenched reflexively into fists at her side. She blinked, shrinking back slightly at her own reaction to his words. ¡°I am not afraid,¡± she repeated, a little less steadily. Her breath was coming short and sharp, her emotions keeping her adrenaline high.

    ¡°This beast of fear and vengeance is not you, Shuri. You are not a mindless killer. You are my sister.¡±

    There was the barest flicker of movement at the edge of T¡¯Challa¡¯s peripheral vision¡ªa tiny spark of red energy. ¡°Shuri,¡± Wanda said behind him, an edge of tired frustration in her tone. ¡°If I had wanted to kill you, I¡¯d have fucking done it already.¡± Idiot! She should not have spoken! Did she not realise how close she was to death?!

    Shuri snarled, barging T¡¯Challa aside, and lunged at the Red Woman. He tried to stop her, but it was like trying to wrestle with a mountain¡ªall he could do is watch helplessly as she seized Wanda around the throat with one hand and lifted her into the air, long fingers wrapping all the way around the woman¡¯s neck. ¡°You¡ª!¡± Shuri stopped dead, blinking as if confused. ¡°You¡­¡±

    She let go of Wanda, dropping her to the ground. The Red Woman let out a hiss of pain, but her uninjured hand was around his sister¡¯s wrist, refusing to let go, and Shuri began to shrink. The Hulk transformation fled as quickly as it had originally come, Shuri¡¯s limbs shortening as she stumbled to her knees, joining Wanda on the cracked ground. T¡¯Challa could see, now, the threads of magic under the Red Woman¡¯s hand, joined with a soft golden glow. The Mind Stone.

    Shuri finished sinking down, collapsing bonelessly. Unconscious. Wanda let go of her, looking cautiously back up at him. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be able to stop her.¡±

    T¡¯Challa scowled at her. She might have been right but, regardless, it did not give her the right to¡­ He pushed down the flare of anger at the Red Woman once again trespassing in the mind of someone he cared about. Taking a deep breath, T¡¯Challa turned to face N¡¯Jadaka, who was still hanging suspended in midair. The smile had been wiped from the other man¡¯s face.

    ¡°We have much to talk about, cousin,¡± T¡¯Challa said.

 Chapter 63

    I watched, fascinated, as the Wakandan doctor deftly manipulated the holographic representation of the inside of my hand, directing the vibranium nanotech as it reattached my fingers. It was surprising just how simple it all looked, given what was happening beneath the surface. While it might not have looked like it, he was performing a series of complex microsurgeries, reattaching nerves and tendons with impossibly small sutures and glues.

    My index and middle fingers had been saved, thankfully, but they hadn¡¯t been able to recover the tip of my ring finger. I was torn between being happy and relieved that my hand wasn¡¯t going to be permanently crippled¡ªprovided there were no unexpected complications, at least¡ªwhile also feeling a bit weird that there was literally a piece of me still missing.

    There was no other permanent damage. I didn¡¯t know what the usual recovery times for Wakandan miracle tech were, but I was pretty sure that in a normal scenario I¡¯d be in for months of physical therapy and might never regain full sensation and functionality in those fingers. However, thanks to the Heart-Shaped Herb, it was more likely to only be a day¡ªtwo or three at the absolute most¡ªbefore my injuries were completely healed and I was back to a hundred per cent (¡­if you didn¡¯t count my missing fingertip). This apparently wasn¡¯t the first time someone with Bast¡¯s blessing had had a severed finger reattached and the doctor seemed fairly confident what the likely prognosis was. Apparently, not only should I regain full use of my fingers within a day or so, but I wasn¡¯t even likely to scar particularly badly.

    The stab wound that had gone right through me had missed all my vital organs¡ª''All of them?!¡¯ I mentally quoted to myself with a smile¡ªand would also be basically healed overnight. Eliza had more than likely intentionally been dragging things out, and with the Herb I apparently probably wouldn¡¯t have even bled out from it. And T¡¯Challa had expected me to give this up? No, I was never going to relinquish the Herb, no matter how personally affronted he was by that and how much it continued to strain my relations with Wakanda. It was proving far too integral to my continued survival to even consider otherwise.

    After Eliza had been defeated and the situation with Shuri had been defused, everything had sort of passed by in a blur. Soon after, a portal had sparked into being and I had honestly never been happier to see the familiar, spiralling orange threads of sorcerous magic. Steve was first through, followed closely behind by the Ancient One and Wong. All of them looked terrible¡ªbetween the Hand, the Iron Legion, and Eliza¡¯s Extreme Taskmasters, everyone had been put through the wringer.

    Everyone else who hadn¡¯t managed to follow after Eliza and I¡ªBucky, Natasha, Mordo and Okoye¡ªhad all been injured or incapacitated during the fight at the warehouse and had had to be evacuated. Apparently, the Hulk had been slowed down quite a bit too, after being blinded temporarily by a point-blank Extremis explosion, but his eyes had repaired themselves pretty quickly.

    We pointed out the building that Tony had been buried under and the Ancient One excavated it, using a few precise spells to levitate and move the rubble out of the way. His armour had saved him, as I¡¯d expected¡ªhe was injured, but wasn¡¯t in notably worse shape than anyone else. His suit was basically a complete wreck, though, and he¡¯d essentially had to be cut out of it. Killmonger had been immediately secured by Dora Milaje on arrival back at the Great Mound and escorted away¡ªI was pretty sure he¡¯d be standing trial for treason and T¡¯Challa¡¯s attempted murder. I suspected we wouldn¡¯t be seeing him again.

    I lay back contentedly and basked in the feeling of being utterly pain-free as the nanotech finished off its work. Wakanda had the best drugs. I felt completely lucid, if a little bit like I was going to go floating away. It was pleasantly like astral projecting. I was fully in control, just¡­ lighter than air. Once the Wakandan doctor was done inspecting the work that had been done on me, my hand was tightly bound with bandages that went rigid after application, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to accidentally aggravate it while it healed. That done, a nurse trundled me out of surgery and into the room that was being used for our team members¡¯ post?op recovery.

    Pietro was there waiting, pacing up and down the length of the room, a comfortingly familiar ball of nervous energy. He¡¯d been mostly fine; the hit he¡¯d taken had looked worse than it actually was. Natasha was there, too, sitting off to one side next to another bed occupied by a sleeping Clint¡ªshe perked up as well when she saw me.

    Clint¡­ his entire right arm below the shoulder was gone. It had essentially been completely obliterated by Eliza. Unlike with me, there was nothing left that could be reattached. He was permanently crippled, which made me feel just that little bit worse about my own good fortune. If I¡¯d been a little stronger, a little faster¡­ maybe that wouldn¡¯t have happened. There was nothing I could do about it now, though. With any luck, he¡¯d hopefully at least be able to score a cool robot arm like Bucky¡¯s. The room¡¯s final other occupant, also currently either asleep or unconscious post-surgery, was Mordo. The sorcerer had been badly burnt at the periphery of an Extremis explosion¡ªextensive skin graft badly¡ªand was heavily swathed in bandages while they took.

    Once the nurse had slid my bed into place Pietro came over immediately, with Nat quickly following after him. My brother lunged in and hugged me¡ªI laughed for a brief moment before a dull spike of pain shooting through my ribcage at the motion. ¡°Ow! Okay! Off!¡± I wheezed.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Pietro pulled back, a wide grin plastered across his face.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Nat said, a warm smile crinkling her cheeks. ¡°You had us worried there, for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Eh,¡± I responded, returning the smile. ¡°You know me. I can be pretty dramatic sometimes.¡±

    Pietro was looking at my bandaged hand. ¡°How are your fingers?¡± he asked, his brow creasing slightly.

    ¡°All good¡ªwell, the two we found, at least. I probably won¡¯t be playing the piano for the next few days, but they¡¯ll supposedly heal quickly.¡±

    He let out a huff of air. ¡°I freaked out a bit, when I woke up,¡± he confessed. ¡°I thought maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair. I was pretty sure I was going to die, too,¡± I said. ¡°But then I thought to myself ¡®I can¡¯t die; I didn¡¯t get to tell Pietro he¡¯s an idiot one last time¡¯.¡±

    Pietro rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling. Nat hesitated, fidgeting slightly, before she reached down and picked up my uninjured hand. She squeezed my fingers gently, and I squeezed hers back. A moment later, she tucked something cold and metallic into my palm. My eyes flicked down to see what it was and I let out a small snort of amusement. My sling ring.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell the Ancient One we found that,¡± Nat said, a small smile quirked the corner of her lips. ¡°Steve told her he thought Eliza must have destroyed it after she cut it off you.¡±

    ¡°Did he now?¡± I murmured, looking down at the relic for a moment before closing my fist tightly around it. I admit, I¡¯d been worried that I wasn¡¯t going to be getting it back again. ¡°Speaking of fingers¡­ the Hand?¡±

    ¡°The Hand¡¯s done,¡± she said. ¡°All the Fingers were killed in the attack.¡±

    Huh. I¡¯d honestly kind of expected Gao or Reid to get away, at least. ¡°All of them? You¡¯re sure? We have all five bodies?¡±

    Pietro let out a soft snort of satisfied amusement. ¡°Three and a half,¡± he said.

    I looked back at Nat, tilting my head questioningly. ¡°We¡¯ll do a proper team debrief¡ªfill everyone in on what happened for the bits they missed¡ªbut long story short Murakami and Sowande got caught in an Extremis detonation,¡± she explained. ¡°There wasn¡¯t much left of them.¡±

    ¡°The witch didn¡¯t get away either, right?¡± I asked. ¡°Steve said something about a crash.¡± Given the way that the support platform had fallen out of the sky, my assumption was that Eliza had been actively piloting both vehicles when Wanda?3 had taken her down.

    Nat nodded. ¡°Basically immediately after Eliza went out. Some sort of explosive device went off in the cabin, too. We¡¯re still not sure exactly what happened, but our best theory is that Beck had some sort of explosive collar on him. He was killed instantly. The witch was more intact, but she¡¯s dead too. We¡¯re not sure if the explosion or the crash got her.¡±

    Honestly, I felt a little sorry for Quentin Beck. I mean, he became a villain eventually in the original timeline, but this version of him hadn¡¯t actually done anything yet. He was just some guy who worked for Stark Industries, pressed into the service of a homicidal AI, and now he was just¡­ dead. It felt a bit senseless.

    ¡°She had the book and the sceptre with her,¡± Pietro added. ¡°The Ancient One took them.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been in contact with Nick, too,¡± Natasha said, looking pensive. ¡°He¡¯s been keeping an eye on things with Pym. Apparently Ghost is with them now, which explains why she wasn¡¯t at the warehouse.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense, I guess. Eliza would have promised her a cure in exchange for her help. They won¡¯t have had time to build a quantum tunnel yet, so she¡¯ll probably stay put, and if she¡¯s already getting what she wants, she¡¯s probably not an immediate threat.¡±

    Nat nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll need to address it at some point. Wakanda want to go after her, but it¡¯s not something we need to deal with right away.¡±

    The Hand was wrapped up. The book and sceptre had been recovered. We had eyes on Ghost. It was really starting to look like there were no loose ends, but I supposed we wouldn¡¯t be completely sure until Tony and Pepper did a full investigation into what Eliza had Stark Industries doing. Even then, there was always a possibility that we¡¯d missed something¡­ ¡°We don¡¯t have any pictures of the witch, do we?¡± I asked suddenly. ¡°I didn¡¯t recognise her, but I honestly didn¡¯t get that good a look at her.¡±

    Nat nodded, turning and fishing a tablet out of a slim messenger bag she had slung over her shoulder. She tapped at the screen for a moment before handing it to me. I stared at the prone woman, searching her features, hoping for some spark of recognition. She looked¡­ peaceful in death. Her eyes were closed. If not for the ugly, bloody wound at her temple, it would have been easy to imagine she was just sleeping. After a few more seconds, I shook my head and handed the tablet back to Nat.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°I have no idea who she is,¡± I said. Just another random casualty of Eliza¡¯s plots, I supposed. A mystery that might never be solved.

    ¡°Who cares?¡± Pietro said dismissively. ¡°She was helping Eliza and now she¡¯s dead.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t like not knowing. I¡¯m used to knowing.¡±

    ¡°Well, I suppose you¡¯ll just have to get used to dealing with things like this like everybody else does,¡± Nat said, her tone lightly teasing. ¡°Do things the old-fashioned way, instead of relying on your visions.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I was going to go see Steve,¡± Nat said. ¡°I think he was talking to T¡¯Challa about you.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. Should I come, or¡­?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to come?¡±

    I grinned. ¡°I mean, always, but I don¡¯t think my bits are in any condition for playtime right now,¡± I said. ¡°Give me a couple of days.¡± Pietro pretended to gag, his face twisting in disgust.

    ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re getting back to your usual self,¡± Natasha said, rolling her eyes and letting out a small chuckle. ¡°It might be better if you leave things to Steve and I. You seem to have a special talent for aggravating the royals.¡±

    As if summoned by our conversation, the door to the room slid open and Steve and T¡¯Challa entered, flanked by a pair of Dora Milaje acting as an honour guard. ¡°Speak of the devil.¡± I propped myself up a bit more so I could see everyone properly. ¡°T¡¯Challa,¡± I said, a little tentatively. ¡°How¡¯s Shuri?¡±

    ¡°Angry. Awake and unhurt, but angry.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± he hesitated, his jaw working silently for a moment as he considered his words. ¡°Understand why you thought you had to do what you did.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ no hard feelings?¡±

    His expression and lack of an immediate response answered that for me. After an awkward moment of silence, Steve cleared his throat. ¡°We just came from a discussion with the king. About your trial,¡± he said, looking between Pietro and I. I groaned, dropping my head back and closing my eyes for a moment.

    ¡°I spoke to my father about what I witnessed in San Francisco,¡± T¡¯Challa started slowly. ¡°With the AI¡­ and with my cousin.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°You saved me, too. I think that makes us just about even. I mean, ¡®thanks for not betraying us and killing me¡¯ is sort of putting the bar in the basement, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°King T¡¯Chaka is a reasonable man. He knows you aren¡¯t Wakanda¡¯s enemies,¡± Steve interjected. ¡°You¡¯ve demonstrated that pretty definitively, I think.¡±

    T¡¯Challa paused, once again seeming to pick his words carefully. ¡°The king has decreed that your time imprisoned in the Great Mound, assisting Wakanda against the AI, and exposing N¡¯Jadaka¡¯s schemes, has been sufficient to show your contrition.¡±

    ¡°Time served?¡± Nat asked, a note of surprise in her tone.

    ¡°However,¡± the Wakandan prince continued, looking mildly annoyed at the interruption. ¡°The two of you are to be banished from our country, never to return.¡±

    ¡°Unless there¡¯s another global threat,¡± Steve added. T¡¯Challa shot him a warning look, but didn¡¯t contradict him.

    I blinked. That was unexpected. After how everything always seemed to go against me, I¡¯d honestly been expecting worse. ¡°That¡­ is a damn good deal. I¡¯ll take that deal.¡±

    ¡°There is one other thing I want to say,¡± T¡¯Challa said, fixing me with an unnervingly intense look. There was a long, pregnant silence as he searched my features for something before he spoke again. ¡°Do not make me regret saving you.¡± His tone was serious.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± I said, nodding slowly.

    With that, the Wakandan prince turned and left, his honour guard trailing behind him. It didn¡¯t look like he was kicking us out of the country right that exact instant, which was nice, but the moment Clint was awake and the rest of the Avengers were ready to move, I¡¯d be gone. I didn¡¯t want to test his patience.

    Steve and Nat left shortly thereafter, to catch up with the others and wrap up any remaining small matters with Wakanda, and while they were gone the Ancient One came to collect Mordo. She opened a portal right there in the recovery room, a pair of red-robed sorcerers stepping through to help transfer the injured sorcerer to a comfortable-looking bed on the other side, somewhere in Kamar-taj.

    Once he was through, the Ancient One glanced in my direction, catching me watching them. She paused, then dismissed her portal and started toward me. I must have visibly tensed, because she held up her hand briefly in a peaceful gesture, stopping a comfortable distance from the side of my bed.

    ¡°I wanted to thank you for your help,¡± she said mildly.

    ¡°Sure¡­ and not to ask me, once again, if I wouldn¡¯t mind terribly being banished back from whence I came?¡±

    A smile quirked the corner of the sorcerer¡¯s mouth. ¡°It may have crossed my mind,¡± she confessed. ¡°But as I said, our truce stands for the time being. Perhaps¡­ perhaps we will even work together again. Kaecilius still plots against Kamar-taj. It may be beneficial to continue our relations with the Avengers.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°You should keep in contact with Wakanda, too. This is¡­ this is what I wanted. What I was trying to do. Start an alliance strong enough to handle what¡¯s coming.¡± Despite my words, I frowned as I spoke, a brief shadow passing across my features.

    The Ancient One caught my expression. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± she asked, tilting her head curiously.

    I grunted noncommittally and shook my head. Something was bugging me, but it was hard to articulate. I tried anyway. ¡°Something about this isn¡¯t sitting right with me. ¡®Things rhyme¡¯, you said, which is true enough. Three fights against Ultron, three against Eliza. Their births, in Avengers Tower. The second fight over resources. Vibranium. The third fight against Ultron was a big one, too, and there are definitely similarities¡ªthe army of drones¡ªbut he was going to wipe out humanity. We stopped him from basically ending the world. With Eliza¡­ what? There wasn¡¯t any great big end planned. No grand scheme that we foiled.¡± I sighed, shaking my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe it¡¯s nothing. I just¡­ I can¡¯t help feeling like there¡¯s something that we missed.¡±

    --

    Agatha Harkness let out a small sigh, her shoulders relaxing. Her accommodations at Eliza¡¯s warehouse hadn¡¯t been uncomfortable, but it really did feel good to be home.

    The witch gestured and let go of the Darkhold, a minor expression of telekinetic magic returning it to its stand on one of the tables on the edge of the stone chamber. A second flick of her hand sent the page she¡¯d torn from the Book of Cagliostro floating through the air until it seemingly hit an invisible barrier between two pillars. Threads of Agatha¡¯s purple lashed it in place, ready for her to examine it in greater detail at her leisure. The witch took a few steps forward into the centre of the underground chamber, her footsteps echoing hollowly as she looked around. Nothing was out of place; everything was exactly as she had left it.

    Eliza was almost certainly dead. Agatha felt fairly confident about that¡ªafter the dragon flyer had gone down, there¡¯d been no sign of any of her drones, no attempt at communication. The Avengers had beaten her, somehow. Wanda had beaten her.

    As she acknowledged it in her head, Agatha was surprised to feel a small twinge of sadness. She let it sit in her chest, mulling over the feeling. Yes, she was definitely, actually a little sad that Eliza was gone. Not just for the loss of the potential path to power, either. Eliza had been¡­ fun. It had been a long, long time since Agatha had been anything other than a loner; a covenless witch. At her own design, she never really spent an extended period of time with anyone. Not since Nicky¡ª

    Agatha took a deep breath, immediately pushing that thought away, her eyes starting to mist over slightly. Why¡¯d she have to go and think about him? A hand went up and rubbed the locket at her throat.

    Se?or Scratchy¡ªher familiar¡ªhopped out of the shadows, cautiously approaching her feet. Agatha could sense that the demon-in-rabbit-form was worried she was annoyed with him, but she definitely wasn¡¯t. ¡°Hey there, mister,¡± she said, bending over to pick him up. The witch hunkered down in a half-kneeling crouch, tucking a hand under his chest to support him while his back legs rested on her leg. ¡°Someone was a good boy while I was gone, weren¡¯t you? Pulling yourself back together after what mean old Eliza did to you.¡±

    She stroked his soft fur, then smooshed her face into the top of his head to give him a little kiss. He radiated contentment as the fingers of the hand supporting him gently scratched under his chin. Agatha paused for a moment, face still buried in his fur, and inhaled deeply. His scent was comforting.

    Stupid sympathetic connections. This was why she didn¡¯t like using them. It had been necessary to help reinforce Eliza¡¯s trust in her and build up their relationship, but the problem with those sorts of connections were that they cut both ways.

    Eliza had been fun. Now she was gone. Agatha would get over it.

    Raising her head, she pondered what to do next. Before anything else, of course, she needed to be sure that the Ancient One wouldn¡¯t be able to track the missing page from the Book of Cagliostro. She was hoping that they wouldn¡¯t notice it was gone at all¡ªthey¡¯d gotten the book back, so would they even check? If they did, would they even remember that Kaecilius had only ripped out two pages, not three? On the off chance that they did, she needed to make sure there wasn¡¯t a trace remaining of whatever tracking magic the sorcerers had used to locate the book.

    It really was a shame she¡¯d had to ditch the Dark Sceptre, but she hadn¡¯t had any other choice. As far as she could tell, Kamar-taj and Wanda still had no clue whatsoever that she¡¯d ever even been involved, and she would very much prefer to keep it that way. They had only ever seen her while she was disguised as the Chinese girl, and they would have found her corpse in the crashed aircraft alongside the sceptre and book. Case closed, no loose ends, no need to look more deeply.

    Absently, she lifted Se?or Scratchy a little higher, squishing his head against the side of her chin as her fingers continued to give him scratchies.

    Once she¡¯d taken the time to make sure she couldn¡¯t be tracked, though¡­ ¡°I think we need a bit of a break, after all of that,¡± she said, more to herself than to her familiar. It had been less than two weeks since Eliza had first abducted her, but it felt like it had been a lot longer. Maybe she¡¯d have a look around and find another coven of suckers to run the Witches¡¯ Road con on. A little time to decompress and relax would be good¡­ Kill a few witches, get back into her usual groove, that sort of thing.

    Then, once she had her head back in the game, she could use the page from the book to track down Kaecilius¡ªas originally planned¡ªand find out exactly what he was up to. Eliza had said that they had potentially months before Kaecilius made his move, but Agatha was still in the dark as to what he was actually trying to do. All she knew was that Eliza was convinced that, if the sorcerer succeeded, he would destroy the world.

    The AI, of course, had been completely right about Agatha being motivated to put a stop to something like that¡­ It was where she kept all her stuff, after all. Then again, depending on what exactly Kaecilius and his followers were planning, this could even be an opportunity. Wanda, the Avengers, and Kamar-taj were all aware of the threat that he posed and were already planning to try to stop him. She didn¡¯t know what he had up his sleeve, but the odds were definitely stacked against him. Maybe she could capitalise on the situation. The power of the Scarlet Witch wasn¡¯t quite out of her grasp just yet.

    As she turned her head, Agatha noticed something on her shoulder and wrinkled her nose. Reaching up with her free hand, she plucked the small lump off her dress, holding it up between two fingers to examine it for a brief moment. A hard nodule of white¡ªa fragment of bone¡ªattached to a gelatinous grey and red lump. She pulled a face. Looks like she had missed cleaning off a tiny little chunk of Beck¡¯s exploded skull and brain matter.

    That had been traumatising. Not seeing Beck¡¯s head explode when the collar around his neck had detonated¡ªit was far from the first time Agatha had seen something like that¡ªbut the fact that it had happened without any warning! She¡¯d been midsentence, right in the middle of telling Beck exactly what a whimpering, whiny little bitch he was being. Her mouth had been open. Ugh. So gross.

    The witch clucked her tongue, lowering her hand to wave the grisly morsel in front of Se?or Scratchy¡¯s nose. He sniffed for a second, nose twitching furiously, before he eagerly chomped down on it, crunching the bone loudly between his teeth for a moment before he finished greedily gobbling it up. She petted him again, letting her hand drape itself entirely over his tiny head.

    Agatha glanced over at the page from the Book of Cagliostro, still hanging suspended in threads of her purple. It¡¯d keep for another fifteen minutes. Before she did anything else, she really needed a shower.

 Chapter 64

    The Avengers compound in upstate New York felt massive, as one might expect from a converted former Stark Industries warehousing site. The extensive acreage nestled snugly in the crook of a small bend in the Hudson, with the facility proper hugging the river and surrounded by vibrant forest. The main central building¡ªa six-storey, sloped structure emblazoned with the Avengers logo hosting the living quarters and a bunch of the more commonly-used facilities¡ªwas the one that I pictured when I thought of this place, to the point where I¡¯d almost forgotten that there even were other buildings.

    The former warehouse proper was easily the biggest, by a wide margin¡ªsmaller than the facility that Eliza had based herself out in San Francisco, but still big enough that it had been converted into a hanger capable of housing at least a half-dozen Quinjets or similar aircraft, with plenty of space still to spare for a large area set aside for indoor training exercises. Beyond that, there were a half-dozen other, smaller buildings clustered around the two main ones, surrounded by well-cared for gardens, neatly manicured lawns and pleasantly peaceful outdoor areas. The site had three separate parking lots. One of the buildings had even been constructed over a small, artificial channel that had been carved into the river¡ªpresumable a former, fully-enclosed boat dock.

    ¡­Or possibly not-so-former? Did the Avengers have a boat? Questions for later.

    Steeling myself, I followed Steve up the stairs into the central common area of the main building, Pietro trailing behind us. The rest of the Avengers were already here, most already sitting down at the conference table in the ¡®briefing room¡¯ segment of the space. The common area was several rooms put together, really, with no walls between them¡ªa huge kitchen with breakfast bar, a dining area with a couple of small square tables, a lounge with comfortable couches and dark wooden furniture, lit by warm standing lamps, and an open, full-featured briefing room.

    It was slightly less fancy than the ultramodern Avengers Tower had been, but something about it felt more welcoming. Homier. It might just have been the memories. I had them tickling at the periphery of my mind. Nothing really of any solid substance¡­ maybe memories was the wrong word. They were more like vague feelings of recognition. D¨¦j¨¤ vu. Just little things like not needing to be told the layout, or where the bathroom was. I just¡­ knew, my body almost operating on autopilot. It felt comfortable, like I¡¯d lived here before. Which was clearly impossible. Wasn¡¯t it?

    Tony perked up at our entrance, surprise and annoyance warring across his features as he shot a Steve questioning look. He had several small plasters covering cuts on his face, and a large, ugly purple bruise traced the left side of his jaw and neck. As Pietro and I moved to take our seats at the table, he touched Steve¡¯s shoulder, leaning in to speak sotto voce¡ªnot quietly enough that I couldn¡¯t hear him, though, thanks to my enhanced hearing. ¡°I thought we agreed we were going to have a private chat, first?¡±

    Steve gave a small shake of his head. ¡°You wanted to have a private chat. They deserve to be here. I don¡¯t want to talk about her behind her back,¡± he said, quietly but firmly. Tony continued to look put out, but dropped the issue and sat down.

    Once everyone was settled, just as Tony looked like he was about to speak, I opened my mouth. ¡°Alright, so what¡¯s this all about?¡± I asked, completely unnecessarily, my tone already tired. I was pretty sure I knew exactly what this was about.

    Tony paused, reconsidering his words, then sighed. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t mean to be ¡®that¡¯ guy, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s accidental?¡± I interrupted again, feigning surprise.

    ¡°Wanda,¡± Steve said warningly. ¡°This can¡¯t be how these discussions go. We need to be able to talk things through as a team.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, looking down at the table and feeling suitably chastened. I¡¯d complained about Steve not treating me like an adult and but here I was, the meeting barely started, acting like a brat.

    ¡°The Mind Stone,¡± Tony said, gesturing toward the pendant at my neck. ¡°We need to decide what¡¯s going to happen to it now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stop you right there and save us all some precious time,¡± I responding, my expression hard. ¡°It¡¯s going to stay with me. Next issue?¡±

    Tony set his jaw, glaring at me a little. ¡°We¡¯re really okay with leaving one of the most powerful, destructive forces in the universe¡ªThor¡¯s words, not mine¡ªin the hands of someone prophesised to destroy or rule the cosmos¡ªher words, not mine? After she created a homicidal AI that tried to kill us?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± Natasha shook her head, glaring at him. ¡°We can¡¯t let strange prophecies dictate our actions, and there¡¯s no point in picking each other apart over who was at fault with Eliza. This is petty, Tony, even for you.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Nat, but honestly I¡¯ve gotta agree with Tony,¡± Bruce spoke up, glancing briefing in my direction and grimacing. ¡°What are we even talking about? Why is this a discussion? Wanda blew it. You don¡¯t want to get into it about Eliza, fine, but then what happened with Wanda?3¡­¡±

    Pietro frowned at the scientist. ¡°Worked,¡± he pointed out. ¡°It worked. Wanda-3 took down Eliza, just like Wanda said she would.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, please, let¡¯s talk about Wanda-3 for a second,¡± said Tony, a tinge of sarcasm entering his tone. ¡°After the little heart to heart the two Wandas had, does anyone here seriously think Wanda is stable enough to be responsible for the Stone?¡±

    ¡°Tony!¡± Nat snapped, straightening up.

    I clenched my uninjured hand into a fist on top of the table. ¡°First of all: Fuck you. Second of all¡­ Are we really going to sit here and do this again?¡± I asked, looking around at the assembled Avengers. ¡°This is effectively the third time we¡¯ve had this discussion. Are we really going to just keep relitigating it over and over again until Tony gets the outcome he wants?¡±

    ¡°We need to resolve this properly,¡± said Steve. ¡°Get everyone on the same page. Clear the air.¡±

    ¡°I think Wanda¡¯s best qualified to hold onto the Stone,¡± said Bucky. ¡°She understands it and what it can do better than anyone, and she has the power to keep it controlled.¡±

    I could tell that Tony was starting to feel a little outnumbered. ¡°If you''re going to be an Avenger, there has to be some conditions¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Clint said, interrupting him. ¡°No conditions. Wanda and Pietro are Avengers.¡±

    Happiness surged in my chest and I couldn¡¯t help the small smile that appeared on my face.

    ¡°Are you being serious right now?¡± Tony shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Hand on heart, you¡¯re all completely comfortable with her keeping the Stone after what happened in Wakanda? After what she did behind our backs?¡±

    ¡°You wanted to create an AI, too, Tony,¡± I interjected. ¡°And you jumped right on board once Wanda?3 was created.¡±

    ¡°After it was already done, when there wasn¡¯t any putting the genie back in the bottle,¡± he responded immediately. ¡°We¡¯d talked it over and said ¡®no, we aren¡¯t doing this¡¯, and I was willing to accept the team¡¯s decision on that. Why weren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Because the team¡¯s decision was wrong.¡± My tone was firm at first, but I faltered after the words came out. ¡°¡­I thought the team had made the wrong decision. We were in danger,¡± I clarified, hedging a bit.

    Tony looked at Steve, gesturing toward me with a hand as if to say ¡®see?¡¯. ¡°And what about the next time she thinks the team¡¯s decision is wrong? And the time after that? How many chances does she get? She¡¯s out of control, Steve.¡±

    I scoffed. ¡°And there it is. Because that¡¯s what this is really about, isn¡¯t it? You can¡¯t control me. Tell me, Tony, how does it feel?¡±

    Tony¡¯s expression flickered. ¡°How does what feel, Wanda?¡±

    ¡°Being you.¡± I gestured toward him. ¡°Are you blissfully unaware or, deep inside, is some part of you banging on the walls, screaming?¡±

    Tony shot me a big, sarcastic grin. ¡°Being me feels great, actually. Like snuggling up in a warm blanket.¡±

    ¡°Sure, yeah. It would be such a shame if you were forced to examine yourself with a critical eye.¡±

    Tony was about to respond again when Steve cut in, his tone hard. ¡°Stop it, both of you. Sniping at each other like that isn¡¯t helpful.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes we¡¯re just going to disagree,¡± I said, looking at him. ¡°You can¡¯t tell me that that would stop you from doing what you feel is right in the moment. I¡¯ve seen you do the same.¡±

    Steve nodded slowly, though he didn¡¯t look happy about it. ¡°Tony, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m not completely comfortable with it. What happened with Wanda-3 can¡¯t happen again. But Wanda¡¯s not wrong, either. There might be times when any one of us might feel like we have no choice but to act on our own¡ªthe team has to be a team, not a straightjacket, or it won¡¯t work. We need to be able to support each other.¡±

    ¡°We need to be able to trust each other,¡± Tony countered. ¡°Otherwise, we¡¯re not a team at all. Not really.¡±

    ¡°What alternative are you suggesting?¡± I asked. ¡°Because as much as you feel like you can¡¯t trust me with the Stone, I can¡¯t trust you with it, either. If you¡¯re going to argue the Stone should stay in your lab, then we don¡¯t have anything further to talk about, as far as I¡¯m concerned. It¡¯s just a non-starter.¡±

    That was the truth. I¡¯d always been a little worried about letting Tony have access to the Mind Stone, even after I¡¯d destroyed the nascent mind that would have become Ultron. Even without the Scarlet Witch messing with his head, he had always had a pretty poor track record when it came to making good decisions. What would he use the Stone for, now that he knew what it was really capable of? Back in Wakanda, he¡¯d suggested making an AI based on himself¡ªafter Eliza, would I be willing to risk the possibility of him deciding to use the Mind Stone to take a crack at Ultron 2.0? No. Absolutely not. No more AIs.

    Tony set his jaw, looking annoyed. ¡°You always make things more difficult than they need to be. We can¡¯t afford to have another Eliza situation on our hands.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t. The only reason we had an Eliza situation in the first place was because I didn¡¯t have access to the Stone when I needed it, thanks to you,¡± I said firmly. ¡°It stays with me, end of discussion.¡±

    ¡°Tony, lay off about Eliza already,¡± Clint spoke up. He shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Wanda¡¯s not an idiot. She¡¯s not going to go around creating more AIs.¡±

    Steve looked in my direction, weighing me with an appraising gaze for a moment. After a second, he nodded. ¡°After everything that¡¯s happened, I¡¯d like to think that Wanda¡ªout of anyone here¡ªis most aware of the dangers involved.¡±

    I was pretty sure Tony had a smart-ass remark about that, but he bit it back, taking a moment to compose himself before talking again. ¡°Look, we have to be sensible, here,¡± he said, spreading his hands in a pleading gesture as he changed tacks. ¡°There are other concerns at play. Eliza originated in Avengers Tower. The optics are really bad and people are asking some pretty pointed questions. Secretary Ross is demanding a full debrief on where Eliza came from, her capabilities, and what actions she took on US soil. We can keep some stuff close to our chest, but we can''t just completely refuse to cooperate with the government. If Ross finds out about the Mind Stone, do you really think he¡¯ll be happy to let Wanda hold onto it? What about the president? Even if Wanda¡¯s an Avenger, she¡¯s not a US citizen. She doesn¡¯t even have a visa.¡±

    ¡°¡®They don''t grant visas to weapons of mass destruction¡¯,¡± I said quietly, quoting Tony¡¯s words from the original timeline.

    ¡°As far as Ross and the rest are concerned, Loki¡¯s sceptre was US Government property, stolen from SHIELD by HYDRA. If we¡¯re looking after the Stone collectively¡ªas a team¡ªit gives us a bit more of a solid claim on keeping it when they come knocking,¡± he argued. ¡°Beyond that, our recent track record hasn¡¯t been great. Sure, we¡¯ve defused tensions with Wakanda. Great. But outside of that? Russia is still up in arms about what happened with the Red Room. Eliza pulled a 9/11 on Avengers Tower, then for her follow-up act she parked an army of drones above San Francisco, not to mention breaking SoMa. The president was on the verge of deploying the military to seize Stark Industries sites.¡±

    There was a sinking feeling in my stomach as Tony spoke. Incident after incident. Giant public spectacles capturing the whole world¡¯s attention. I remembered exactly what that had led to in the original timeline. Something else I thought I¡¯d averted, before Eliza had come along and blown it all to hell.

    Nat nodded slowly. ¡°A major corporation on US soil was effectively seized and weaponised by enemy interests. The president is going to need to be seen to be doing something about it.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Clint looked pensive. ¡°You think they¡¯re gonna hit us with sanctions?¡± he asked.

    ¡°¡­the Accords,¡± I said quietly, eyes down at the table. ¡°They¡¯re talking about the Accords.¡± I heard everyone shift and didn¡¯t need to look back up to know that I was, once again, the centre of attention. I looked up anyway. Tony looked a little puzzled¡ªhe didn¡¯t know about the Sokovia Accords, obviously, but he was unknowingly describing pretty much the exact situation that had originally led to them.

    Steve tilted his head questioningly. ¡°What accords?¡±

    I gestured vaguely with my bandaged hand. ¡°The Sokovia Accords. The Avengers no longer allowed to operate as a private organisation, only under the supervision of a United Nations panel. Some other nasty stuff built into it, too. Mandatory registration of enhanced individuals, among other things. But basically every country in the world signed off on them. I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be a thing this time.¡±

    Bruce grimaced. ¡°Of course. I love you guys, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯d let the Hulk fall into government hands,¡± he said, glancing over at me. ¡°I bet I didn¡¯t stick around, after that.¡±

    ¡°Actually, you didn¡¯t have to deal with any of this¡ªyou¡¯d sort of banished yourself to space. Or the Hulk had.¡± I saw his expression and shook my head. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s a long story. Not really important or relevant right now.¡±

    ¡°Something like that happening isn¡¯t really surprising,¡± Nat said, looking in his direction briefly. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to deal with all the Senate hearings after what happened with SHIELD. There was a lot said behind closed doors that wasn¡¯t publicly aired. Honestly, it¡¯s a miracle we¡¯ve come this far without the government trying to take a firmer hand with us.¡±

    I¡¯d thought we were safe from the Accords. No Ultron meant no Battle of Sokovia. The Hulk didn¡¯t rampage through Johannesburg. ¡°Most of the original inciting incidents weren¡¯t going to happen anymore, but¡ªfuck,¡± I cut myself off, thinking it all through. Lagos¡­ Fuck. I could have kicked myself. Things fucking rhyme, indeed. ¡°The last straw was an international incident involving Wakanda. One that was¡­ that was my fault. Again. I think the Accords were signed, in part, because people were scared of what I was capable of.¡±

    ¡°Eliza wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± Bucky said firmly, shooting a challenging look in Tony¡¯s direction as if daring him to contradict that statement.

    ¡°Neither was the other thing, but I still got blamed for it,¡± I said, amending my statement slightly. ¡°I thought I¡¯d stopped the Accords from happening, but Eliza just put them right back on the table again, didn¡¯t she? Can just one fucking thing stay fixed in this fucking world?¡± I slumped forward onto the table, feeling miserable. Laying my head down, I focused on the feeling of the cool wood against my cheek and started to go over things in my head.

    ¡°Even if it does happen, it¡¯s really not your fault,¡± Nat said gently, reaching over to touch my arm. ¡°Something like this was probably inevitable.¡±

    If the Accords came¡­ ugh. So much for being an Avenger. Would the team even survive intact at all? And Tony was right¡ªif the government found out about the Mind Stone, they¡¯d probably exert pressure on the team to hand it over. I already wasn¡¯t remotely comfortable with the idea of giving the Stone to Tony, but giving it to the US Government? Abso-fucking-lutely not.

    But what could I do to avoid it? How could I stop or delay the Accords, or something like them? I had tried my hardest to keep the Avengers from breaking up. I¡¯d laid groundwork that looked like it might be able to grow into a three-way alliance with Wakanda and Kamar-taj. I¡¯d done so much work and it was only just starting to pay off. There had to be some way I could fix this. I lifted my head, feeling stressed.

    Steve frowned. ¡°What happened in the other timeline with the Accords and the Mind Stone?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know a lot of the details of what was talked about behind the scenes. I was effectively under house arrest,¡± I confessed, shooting Tony a vaguely resentful look before turning back to Steve. ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell me anything, really. I was still just a kid to be protected, to you. Vision, he¡­¡± I trailed off, remembering the night Clint had come to liberate me from this very facility, when Vision had tried to stop me leaving. It was sudden and vivid; seizing control of Vision¡¯s connection with the Mind Stone with my magic, sending him smashing down into the Earth. Why could I so clearly remember that from my own perspective, rather than as pictures on a screen?

    I can¡¯t control their fear, I¡¯d told him. Only my own.

    ¡°You¡¯ve said before that the Mind Stone was part of Vision,¡± Bruce prompted me.

    ¡°¡­Yeah, it was. But the thing is we didn¡¯t even know what the Mind Stone was until after it was already in his head. Vision was powerful. They couldn¡¯t just repossess him. And when it came down to it, Vision agreed to the Accords. He thought we needed oversight. Accountability. I¡­ fuck,¡± I looked at Nat, forehead creased. ¡°When Tony found out about his parents, did you tell him everything I told you?¡± Across the table, Tony went rigid, his face suddenly expressionless.

    Nat shot him a worried glance. ¡°Yes. Everything.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I sighed. ¡°I told you that Tony found out about his parents at the worst possible time, when there was already a lot of friction in the team.¡±

    Bruce grimaced, rubbing his chin absently with one hand. ¡°You called it the end of the Avengers. It broke the team.¡±

    ¡°Well, the Sokovia Accords were the beginning of that end. Everything was happening at once. The UN passed the Accords. The team had already started to split down the middle¡ªTony was pro-Accords, Steve was against them.¡± Steve was looking at me askance, so I clarified. ¡°It was surrendering our right to choose what we do. You worried that the UN panel might try to send us somewhere we didn¡¯t think we should go, or that there might be somewhere we needed to go and they wouldn¡¯t let us.¡±

    Steve nodded slowly. ¡°That makes sense.¡±

    ¡°Bucky was still on the run, but he was framed for killing King T¡¯Chaka and Steve went rogue trying to save him.¡± Framed by Zemo, who was still a hanging thread here, too. I didn¡¯t really know what to do about him. He¡¯d worked with HYDRA to capture Peter and I, but he¡¯d also freed us after I showed him some of my memories. Did that warrant any further action? His family were safe in this timeline, after all; he would never have a reason to go after the Avengers. Either way, he wasn¡¯t something that needed to be dealt with immediately. ¡°We all fought against each other. It was a big mess. Then Tony found out about his parents and¡­ that was that. He tried to kill Bucky, Steve put himself in the way. You almost killed each other.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen,¡± Steve asserted, glancing briefly at Tony.

    The other man¡¯s expression could have been carved from stone, but he shifted his head fractionally before taking a deep breath. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Barnes didn¡¯t kill my parents. The Winter Soldier did. HYDRA did.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t help stop the Accords, though, or keep the Mind Stone out of government hands. The Avengers need to stay together. The team is important¡­ now, more than ever. The Avengers falling apart is one of the reasons Thanos won in my visions. We were separated. Weakened.¡± I shook my head, rubbing at my temple with my fingers. ¡°Now? When my visions aren¡¯t worth as much as they used to be, and we¡¯ve actually got the start of some potential alliances with Kamar?taj and Wakanda? What we¡¯re building here is important. Not just to us, but to the continued existence of the world¡ªof the entire universe.¡±

    ¡°And you don¡¯t want to jeopardise that,¡± Steve said, his expression pensive. From the way he was looking at me, I thought he¡¯d already followed my train of thought to what I thought was its logical conclusion.

    ¡°¡­If I¡¯m unaffiliated, the Avengers get plausible deniability. You can¡¯t be responsible for my actions. I can¡¯t be potentially brought under control if I¡¯m not on the team. Ross can¡¯t use a legal or legislative bludgeon to try to force the team to hand the Mind Stone over if the team doesn¡¯t have the Stone. We¡¯re in a better position if I¡¯m framed as an ally that needs to be negotiated with, like Wakanda or Kamar-taj. If the Avengers are to survive¡ªto thrive, then¡­¡± I stopped, a lump forming in my throat. ¡°When Pietro and I first escaped from HYDRA, all I wanted was to be an Avenger. But we don¡¯t always get what we want. With everything that¡¯s happened, I just¡­ I don¡¯t think I can be. Not officially, at least. Not right now.¡±

    ¡°You are an Avenger. You¡¯re one of us,¡± said Nat, shaking her head. She glanced at Pietro. ¡°Both of you are.¡±

    ¡°This is bigger than me. It¡¯s not just the government stuff, either. Wakanda might have cleared Pietro and I, but they still don¡¯t like us. Especially not me; not after everything I did. I don¡¯t want to be a constant source of friction between Wakanda and the team. Kaecilius is still out there, but that danger will pass soon and the Ancient One might decide to move me up her priority list.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t let the Ancient One do anything to you,¡± Bucky said. ¡°If she wants you, she has to go through us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the problem, though,¡± I let out another sigh. ¡°Kamar?taj and the Avengers should be allies. You need to be, for the world to survive what¡¯s coming. In my visions, the sorcerers played a key role in stopping Thanos. If I end up standing in the way of that¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± said Clint hesitantly. ¡°But it does make some sense, if we want to get ahead of things.¡± Nat looked over at him, forehead creased with concern, but she didn¡¯t argue.

    ¡°After what happened with SHIELD and HYDRA, the idea of the government trying to take back the Stone is concerning. We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own,¡± said Steve firmly. ¡°Ross is¡­ He¡¯s loyal to his country and its people, but his methods can be¡­¡±

    ¡°God,¡± I said. ¡°Ross is probably going to freak the fuck out when he finds out there¡¯s another Hulk, too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not our place to disclose Wakanda¡¯s secrets,¡± Steve said firmly. ¡°If Ross asks, we just tell him that if he wants details relevant to Wakanda¡¯s operational security, he needs to talk to Wakanda.¡±

    I nodded slowly. ¡°Good. King T¡¯Chaka will appreciate that. They need to be the ones to decide if they want to come forward and reveal themselves properly to the world.¡±

    ¡°So, what? You just leave? Waltz out with the weapon of mass destruction?¡± Tony asked, not looking thrilled.

    ¡°Yes. No. Not leave leave. I¡¯m not abandoning what we¡¯re doing here. I can still be around. We still need to work together. There just¡­ there needs to be some space. Some degree of separation between me and the Avengers,¡± I gestured toward the corridor on the far wall, next to the kitchen, leading to the living quarters. ¡°I can¡¯t stay here.¡±

    ¡°Leave you off the lunchboxes,¡± Clint said wryly and I nodded.

    Steve was looking at me. I met his gaze evenly, feeling a bit nervous. After a moment, he nodded slowly. ¡°There are some downsides, but I can see the potential benefits. Are you sure this is what you want to do?¡±

    Okay, I really appreciated the way he was handling this. Steve didn¡¯t want to make the decision for me¡ªhe wanted to support what I wanted to do. ¡°No. But I think it¡¯s the smartest play right now. We can revisit the situation later, when a bit of the heat has died down.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, simply.

    Nat was still concerned. ¡°Where will you stay?¡± she asked. She didn¡¯t outright say ¡®you¡¯re homeless and have no money, remember¡¯, but I knew she was thinking it.

    ¡°We¡¯ll work something out,¡± Pietro said.

    I knew he was going to argue, but that wasn¡¯t what I had in mind. ¡°No, Pietro. I¡¯ll work something out. There¡¯s no reason you can¡¯t stay here.¡±

    ¡°If you go, I go,¡± he said stubbornly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± I held up a hand to silence any further discussion on the topic. ¡°So¡­ is that all you wanted to talk about?¡±

    Tony and Steve exchanged a significant look. From his expression, I could tell that Tony still had things he wanted to say¡ªthe discussion had focused heavily on the Mind Stone, but Tony¡¯s issues with me obviously ran deeper than that. He¡¯d originally wanted to talk behind my back for a reason. There was still stuff he wanted to say that he wasn¡¯t willing to air directly in front of me. ¡°¡­For now,¡± he said, giving a shallow nod.

    I took a deep breath, a tight feeling of loss welling up in my chest. It wasn¡¯t permanent. I had to remember that. I was an Avenger. This was just a strategic decision. ¡°Well,¡± I said, standing up. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just¡­ I¡¯ll go get my stuff.¡±

    --

    ¡°I am not letting you go off on your own,¡± Pietro said, glaring at me.

    I sighed and rolled my eyes, though honestly it felt nice to have him argue about this. It made me feel a little less shitty about it, reminding me that there were quite a few people who wanted me here. ¡°I won¡¯t be far. I promise. We¡¯ll see each other all the time still. I just need you to stay here, okay? Be part of the team.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need me here,¡± he said stubbornly.

    ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± A flicker of movement caught my eye and I looked over to see that Natasha had just emerged from the corridor leading to the living quarters. She smiled as I perked up and started toward us with long, purposeful strides. I lowered my voice so she wouldn¡¯t hear me. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not going to be around all the time, so I need someone here that I know for certain I can trust. Who¡¯ll be able to keep me in the loop. Nat¡­ I love her and I hope she won¡¯t keep anything from me, but I can¡¯t trust that for certain right now. Not after what happened. Please, Pietro. I really need you to do this for me.¡± Shooting him one last pleading look, I turned back to the rapidly-approaching Nat.

    She walked up to us, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a set of keys before wordlessly offering them to me. I took them, staring at them for a moment before looking up at her questioningly. ¡°My apartment in the city. You can stay there,¡± she said firmly. ¡°As long as you need.¡±

    I nodded slowly. ¡°Thanks. That would actually be perfect, I think.¡± A small smirk curved the corner of my mouth. ¡°We haven¡¯t even had ¡®The Talk¡¯ yet and you¡¯re just going to go ahead and ask me to move in with you?¡±

    She rolled her eyes, but smiled back. ¡°I¡¯ll be staying here mostly, so it¡¯s more like you¡¯ll be moving in with Yelena than anything else¡ªshe still hasn¡¯t gotten her own place. Good luck with that. Are you good to portal there?¡±

    I grimaced and shook my head. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll call a cab? It actually feels super weird trying to use the sling ring with my other hand. I might even just¡­ hold off on portals for a little while unless I absolutely need one. I think relying on them all the time puts me in a weird headspace. I¡¯m not always in a rush to get everywhere,¡± I said, then paused, thinking about just how much I¡¯d been rushing around lately. ¡°I think I need to slow down, in general. Take my time with things for a bit. Ground myself. Kaecilius is still out there, but we should still have lots of time to prepare for that. I don¡¯t need to be constantly rushing all the time. It¡¯s not good for my head.¡±

    Pietro was nodding along, though his mouth was still twisted in a small frown. ¡°You need to let yourself rest. Relax for a bit. Since we left Sokovia it¡¯s been one thing after another, almost nonstop.¡±

    ¡°You need to process what happened with Wanda-3 properly, too. And Eliza, for that matter. I¡¯m here to talk if you need to. Anytime. Both of us are,¡± Nat said softly, glancing briefly toward Pietro. ¡°I could drive you into the city, if you wanted?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be nice. How about you take me to dinner, then back to the apartment so you can have your way with me?¡±

    ¡°Wanda,¡± Pietro whined, pulling a face.

    ¡°You need a day or two to heal up before I have my way with you again, remember?¡± she scolded me lightly. ¡°How about dinner, then back to the apartment for ¡®The Talk¡¯?¡±

    I stuck out my lower lip in an exaggerated pout, but nodded. ¡°I suppose.¡± Turning to Pietro, I reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. ¡°Will you stay here? Please?¡± I wasn¡¯t quite begging him, but it was close.

    I might have been exaggerating, just a little bit, when I told him that I couldn¡¯t trust Natasha. The broken trust between us definitely still needed some time to heal, but I honestly wasn¡¯t actually that worried about it. The biggest reason I wanted Pietro to stay was because I thought it would be good for him.

    Neither of us really had many friends. I was perfectly comfortable being by myself¡ªI was never the most social person¡ªbut Pietro always got so restless when it was just the two of us. He needed others around so he could burn off that excess energy, and he was starting to get on really well with Steve and Bucky. I really didn¡¯t want to take that outlet away from him. Pietro had already sacrificed so much to follow me around and deal with all my bullshit and I didn¡¯t want to just keep using him like that. He needed to have something of his own¡­ if the Avengers couldn¡¯t be that for me right now, maybe they could for him.

    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± Pietro grunted unhappily. ¡°I¡¯ll stay.¡±

    ¡°Quicksilver,¡± I said, shooting him a grateful smile.

    He looked confused. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Your superhero name. As an Avenger. It¡¯s Quicksilver.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± he scoffed, the corner of his mouth tugging upward slightly. ¡°Decided for me, huh?¡±

    ¡°No, sorry,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this one¡¯s on you.¡±

 Chapter 65

    ¡°Hiiiiii!¡± Yelena called out, grinning widely. She hurried over as Nat and I kicked off our shoes near the front door, slamming into her sister hard enough to almost knock her off her feet and hugging her tightly. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Nat agreed, smiling as she extricating herself from the embrace. ¡°We got in this afternoon. We¡¯d have been here earlier, but there were a few things left to tidy up with the team.¡±

    ¡°Hey! How¡¯ve you been holding up?¡± I said, hovering hopefully nearby.

    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s been awful. Boring,¡± Yelena said. She sized me up for a brief moment before tipping her head in acknowledgement and gesturing for me to come in for a hug as well. I accepted happily, giving her a brief squeeze before she turned and walked back over toward the tiny, square dining table that sat at the edge of the apartment¡¯s kitchen. There was a dirty bowl on the table, slightly gooey with mac and cheese remnants¡ªshe must have just finished eating. She picked up the bowl and turned to us. ¡°Have you eaten? There¡¯s¡­ uh. Macaroni. I already ate it all but there¡¯s more. I could make more. It¡¯s delicious.¡±

    ¡°Thanks; we already ate,¡± Nat said, walking to the centre of the apartment and looking around critically.

    The place wasn¡¯t a complete mess, but Yelena hadn¡¯t exactly been keeping it neat and tidy, either. A few rumpled, dirty clothes lay strewn over the couch in the living area. A pair of empty pizza boxes lay stacked on the coffee table. The sink was full of dishes. Natasha shot Yelena a questioning, slightly annoyed, look, but the younger woman ignored it.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to go back to sleeping on the couch again, aren¡¯t I?¡± Yelena asked, pseudo-rhetorically. ¡°But I like your bed. It¡¯s really comfortable.¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­¡± I trailed off as Nat shot me an unimpressed look. I smirked back and shrugged. She shook her head, looking a little bit exasperated but not actually annoyed. ¡°We just came from that Italian place on the corner that Nat likes,¡± I said instead, changing the subject.

    ¡°§³§å§Ü§Ñ. You went out to a nice place for dinner?¡± Yelena asked, pouting a little. ¡°You could have invited me.¡±

    ¡°And take you away from your ¡®delicious¡¯ boxed mac and cheese? I couldn¡¯t do that,¡± Nat teased her.

    Yelena shot her an exaggerated frown, kicking at the floor and twisting on the spot like a petulant child. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten to see you since you checked in after the Tower exploded. It just would have been nice to get to spend a bit of time with my sister, is all.¡±

    Nat just rolled her eyes. ¡°Wanda and I haven¡¯t had much of a chance to spend any real time together, either. I wouldn¡¯t want you to feel like a third wheel.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± said Yelena, as if Nat had just proven her point for her. She gestured emphatically with a hand. ¡°So you would have felt bad that I was a third wheel and then you would have paid for my food.¡±

    Nat made an exasperated noise and shook her head, glancing in my direction.

    My lips quirked into a small smile and I shrugged. ¡°I mean, I wouldn¡¯t have minded. I think Yelena¡¯s pretty cool.¡±

    ¡°See! I¡¯m cool,¡± Yelena said triumphantly, then her tone faltered and she frowned at me. ¡°Wait a minute, no. I know what sorts of things you think are cool. Take that back.¡±

    My smile widened into an almost-predatory grin. ¡°Never. You¡¯re super cool.¡±

    She shuddered dramatically, her face twisting in disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t ever say that again. First you come and kick me out of my bed, and now this? I am actually cool, thank you very much, not Wanda cool.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing stopping you from being both,¡± Nat said, the corner of her mouth twitching furiously as she tried not to laugh.

    ¡°Of course you think that, you¡¯re as bad as she is,¡± Yelena responded curtly, acting put-out by the comment. ¡°What did I ever do to have such a thoughtless sister? You insult me. You don¡¯t take me anywhere. You didn¡¯t even invite me to come fight the robot with you. I¡¯ve never fought a robot before.¡±

    Nat shook her head, losing a little bit of her joking tone. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a fun fight, trust me.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t get to do any cool poses,¡± I added. ¡°A witch hit me in the bits and I fell off a plane. It was really undignified, actually.¡±

    ¡°Whatever,¡± Yelena said dismissively, but there was a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. She was probably enjoying the mental image of me getting hit in the bits. Mean.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk properly tomorrow,¡± Nat reassured her. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day. Week. Two weeks?¡±

    ¡°Not quite two,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°But it feels like it¡¯s been a lot longer.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Yelena threw up her hands, then gestured toward the hall. ¡°Don¡¯t let me keep you. I was just going to watch a movie now, anyway. Loudly.¡±

    She turned and stacked the dirty bowl she¡¯d been holding on top of a few others piled in the sink, then made to move toward the living room. As she stepped past us, Nat reached out a hand and grabbed hers gently. Their hands lingered together for a brief moment and Yelena flashed her a small smile, then she was past and picking up the TV remote.

    Nat and I exchanged a glance, then headed down the short hallway to her bedroom. She detoured briefly to the linen closet to retrieve a fresh set of sheets and we changed them together, our companionable silence only broken by the muffled sound of the 20th Century Fox opening fanfare from the other side of the door.

    After we finished, Nat stepped out briefly to dump the dirty sheets in her laundry hamper. While she did that, I sat down on the edge of the bed. Reaching up, I touched the pendant at my throat absently for a moment, feeling out the gentle presence of the Mind Stone within. ¡°God, I can¡¯t believe we had another argument about the Stone,¡± I said when she stepped back into the room, closing the door firmly behind her. ¡°Working with Tony is¡­¡±

    ¡°He can be a lot, sometimes, yeah. You get used to it. My first year with him was a nightmare,¡± Nat said, a small smile lifting the corners of her mouth as she sat down next to me, our arms almost touching. ¡°Tony¡­ a lot of the time, when he lashes out, overcompensates, does what he does, it¡¯s because he¡¯s scared.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not scared, he¡¯s an asshole,¡± I grunted. ¡°Tony has no feelings.¡±

    She laughed and leaned over to nudge me with her shoulder. ¡°You of all people know that¡¯s not true.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I said, then sighed. ¡°I get why Tony is how he is. It just sucks being on the receiving end of it all the time.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll come around,¡± she said, her tone firm and confident.

    It was hard for me to tell if she really believed that, or if it was just something she was projecting to reassure me. That was always going to be the problem with Nat, wasn¡¯t it? There was always her ¡®master social manipulator¡¯ thing hanging over our every interaction. I knew she cared about me¡ªif not how much¡ªbut that didn¡¯t discount the fact that I could never be completely certain what she was really thinking or feeling. Was I still being managed, even now?

    Nat fidgeted for a moment. ¡°Did you want to talk about what happened with Wanda-3?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m going to need at least a couple of days before I¡¯m ready for that, I think. And a bottle of something that will actually get me drunk.¡±

    We sat quietly for more than a few seconds¡ªit was awkward, but also not? I was suddenly hyperaware of how pretty Nat was, anxiety rising in my chest as I tried to think of the best way to start off a conversation that we were long overdue for.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do this,¡± Natasha said finally, beating me to it. She shook her head, a rueful expression on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not good at talking about feelings.¡±

    ¡°Neither am I,¡± I confessed. ¡°I think we just need to¡­ start somewhere. Um. Do you want to be my girlfriend?¡±

    The awkwardness in my tone made Nat chuckle. She looked at me, her nose crinkled, a wide smile breaking across her features. ¡°Oh my god. Okay. You being even worse at this than I am is making me feel a bit better, at least. Yes, I want to be your girlfriend.¡±

    I held up a hand. ¡°Uh, hang on. Before you say ¡®yes¡¯, we should talk about what that means. I¡¯m¡­¡± I gestured a few times, trying to find the right words. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I¡¯m terribly big on exclusivity. I think there¡¯s room in my heart for more than one person.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Just in your heart, huh?¡± Nat teased.

    I laughed and shot her a sly look. ¡°Look, I know you were thinking ¡®bed¡¯ when you said that, but you really need to remember that that is not where my mind is going to go.¡±

    ¡°Straight to the gutter.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡± I shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°If God wanted me to be monogamous, why¡¯d he give me three holes and ADHD?¡±

    That got a good laugh out of her, her expression torn between amusement and cringe. She shook her head. ¡°You know, you talk a big game for someone who immediately gets flustered the second someone actually flirts back. But that¡¯s fine. You can be with whoever you want. It¡¯s really not a big deal for me.¡±

    ¡°That obviously goes both ways,¡± I said. ¡°You can be with other people, too, if you want to. Hell, depending on who it is, I¡¯d probably even ask if you wanted a third.¡±

    Nat rolled her eyes. ¡°Duly noted.¡± She paused for a moment, then shook her head. ¡°I mean, having the option¡¯s good, I guess, but I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t really date, or anything. I¡¯ve never really seen myself as someone who¡¯d ever be able to be in a real relationship.¡±

    ¡°Not even with Bruce?¡± I asked curiously.

    She blinked, thinking about it for a moment. ¡°¡­Okay, maybe a little,¡± she confessed. ¡°He was on my mind a bit, before you came along. I don¡¯t know. Things are different now. You said before that we got together in your visions, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ different. Not like anyone else I know. All of my other friends are fighters, but Bruce, he¡¯s spent most of his life avoiding the fight, you know? He¡¯s gentle. But he steps up anyway, because he has to. Because it¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you ever decide you want to run with it¡­¡± I trailed off and looked at her shiftily. ¡°Uh. So, I know the Hulk¡¯s almost certainly not physically compatible with humans, but if you ever do find out what¡¯s going on, uh, ¡®down there¡¯, let me know.¡±

    Nat suppressed another laugh and shot me a vaguely disgusted look. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen it.¡±

    My eyes widened and I leaned in eagerly. ¡°You have? What¡¯s it like? He¡¯s gotta be huge, right? Or is it like a gorilla thing? Their dicks are really small for their size for some reason.¡±

    ¡°Wanda,¡± she said, very patiently, the corner of her mouth twitching furiously as she tried not to smile. ¡°I am not going to describe the Hulk¡¯s dick to you.¡±

    ¡°But Nat,¡± I whined. ¡°I wanna know.¡±

    ¡°Ask Bruce, then.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not gonna tell me! Besides, how awkward would that conversation be?¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re not going to find out, then.¡±

    I huffed at her, annoyed, and wondered if it would be wrong if¡ªthe next time we had sex¡ªI bound her with chaos magic and teased her until she broke and told me? I mean, yes, that would be pretty wrong and I wouldn¡¯t do it. She didn¡¯t want to tell me, and that was fine. Even though I really, really wanted to know. Grr.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Nat said, straightening up slightly as something occurred to her. ¡°I probably don¡¯t have to say this and I really don¡¯t think she¡¯d be interested anyway, but uh, I feel like it might be really weird if you and Yelena¡­¡± she gestured, making it very clear what she meant. ¡°Just throwing that out there. I mean, she¡¯s basically my sister.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Of course, no. Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve just definitely seen you check her out a few times and¡­¡±

    I held up my hands. ¡°Yelena is off-limits. Absolutely; no problems at all.¡± A vaguely petulant expression flickered across my features. ¡°I bet Yelena would tell me how big the Hulk¡¯s dick is.¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    I pouted at her. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll stop asking.¡±

    She took a deep breath and the amusement fled from her expression. ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t know if this is enough. I don¡¯t know what you want from me. Not really.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Vision,¡± she said, and it suddenly got a little harder to breathe. ¡°I can¡¯t give you what the two of you had. You saw yourself settle down. You had a family. Kids. I can¡¯t offer you anything like that. Clint¡¯s the family man¡ªthat life isn¡¯t for me. I don¡¯t think I could be a mom.¡±

    I gave her a tight smile. ¡°I think you might surprise yourself, Auntie Nat,¡± I said quietly. ¡°But that¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t need you to be that. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d even want it. I just¡­ I care about you. A lot. And I want to spend time with you. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°I can work with that,¡± she said, smiling back. ¡°I feel the same way.¡±

    I bit my lip, a familiar ache rising in my chest again. ¡°Vision¡­ there¡¯ll always be a hole, I think. Where he and my children should be. I don¡¯t think anything will ever¡ªshould ever¡ªtake their place. Vision, he¡­¡± I trailed off, lost in fragmented memories for a moment. Natasha waited patiently while I put my thoughts in order. After a moment, I let out a small laugh. ¡°He was just so earnest. The way he saw the world was¡­ unique. He appreciated it in a way that no one else I ever met did. Not just the good, but the bad as well. I really wish you could have met him. You liked him the first time around, I think.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like I would have,¡± she said softly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I feel about this. About him not being here,¡± I confessed. ¡°Anytime I think about him it hurts. I miss him so much, somehow, even though it wasn¡¯t me. I¡¯m the reason he doesn¡¯t exist. I should regret that. But I don¡¯t, and it makes me feel worse about it.¡±

    ¡°You did what you thought was right. You should never regret that.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± I said firmly. ¡°Put me back again, give me a third go around, and I wouldn¡¯t do a single thing differently. Well, maybe not a single thing. I wouldn¡¯t create Eliza again. But before that? No. I can¡¯t regret stopping Ultron, and I can¡¯t regret anything that led me here. To you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s cheesy. But I¡¯m glad,¡± Nat said, tilting her head to rest it on my shoulder. We sat like that quietly for a little while, then she straightened up and flashed me a smile. ¡°Okay. Talk had. That wasn¡¯t so bad, was it?¡±

    ¡°I guess¡­ there is actually one more thing I wanted to talk about,¡± I said, my mouth going dry. There was a lump in my throat and I shifted uncomfortably, trying to push past it. ¡°Um. Please be honest with me. It¡¯s okay if the answer¡¯s no. I just¡­ I need to know. Back with Wanda-3¡­ when you said you¡­¡± God, I couldn¡¯t even say it. ¡°Did you really mean that, or were you just saying it? For her?¡±

    Natasha smiled again, leaning back and closing her eyes for a moment. She stayed like that, not responding, and it felt like something rabid was clawing at my insides. Several seconds inched by, but it felt like time had slowed, like I¡¯d projected my consciousness into the deep astral and everything around me was moving at an absolute crawl. An eternity passed. Why did I ask?! I shouldn¡¯t have asked. I shouldn¡¯t have¡ª

    ¡°There was a moment in that last fight,¡± she said eventually, opening her eyes to look at me again. Her eyes were glistening. Wet. ¡°One of the Taskmasters was about to explode in my face. I couldn¡¯t get away. I really thought I was going to die.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything. I couldn¡¯t. I could hardly breathe. The pressure building in my chest felt like it had reached a breaking point. I had said I wanted her to be honest, but that was a lie. I wanted her to say the words, more than anything else in the world. Even if they weren¡¯t true. I didn¡¯t care. I just wanted to hear her say them again. If she didn¡¯t, I¡¯d¡­ I didn¡¯t know. I had no idea what I¡¯d do.

    ¡°I thought about you. I was glad that Wanda-3 had forced us to have that moment. That I¡¯d been able to tell you how I felt.¡± She took a deep breath, turning to face me more fully. ¡°Yeah. I meant it. I love you.¡±

    Her words hit me like a physical blow. I exhaled, long and loud, and it was like a valve had been released inside of me, the pressure that had built up surging out of me in a wave of emotion that made my hands tremble in my lap. I couldn¡¯t tear my gaze away from her. My lips felt dry. I ran my tongue along them and swallowed. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t believe you,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Say it again.¡±

    The corners of her mouth twitched. ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Again.¡± My voice felt hoarse.

    Natasha shuffled forward, inching slightly closer and leaning forward. ¡°I love you.¡±

    My vision was starting to blur. ¡°Again.¡±

    She leant in closer, our foreheads almost touching as she looked deeply into my eyes. ¡°I love you.¡±

    I could see it in her eyes. How she felt. I hoped she could see the same in mine. ¡°Again.¡± My voice was barely a whisper, the word almost dying in my throat. I felt wetness trickling down my cheeks.

    She didn¡¯t respond this time. Instead, she finished closing the gap between us, her mouth hot against mine. I tasted salt¡ªher tears and mine mingling on our lips¡ªand for a moment it was like nothing else existed. An age passed. Another eternity, but this time one where there was nothing but her warmth and softness.

    Then it passed, and I broke off, my breathing heavy and strained, almost gasping. I reached up with a shaking hand, my palm against her cheek, and she nuzzled into it for a moment.

    ¡°I love you, too,¡± I said.

    --

    I was standing in a scarred ruin of melted stonework and scorched earth. A burnt-out ruin in a red-tinged wasteland. The sky boiled and churned above me, a seething red mass of chaos magic. I knew where I was. The Sokovian military fortress that had once housed Strucker¡¯s research base, or what was left of it¡ªnot how it appeared in reality, of course, but how it had appeared when I¡¯d visited the Ancestral Plane.

    One wall of the main fort still partially stood, not too far away amidst the devastation, like a small tower that drew the eye. A figure in a red dress stood atop it, facing away from me, staring off into the distance. I didn¡¯t need to see her face to know who she was.

    This was a dream. I was dreaming.

    There was a small sound next to me, the rasp of someone shifting position, metal scraping against stone. I glanced over and saw Eliza sitting, relaxed, on the stumpy remains of a melted wall. The AI looked much as she had in our last fight¡ªthe same sleek, white-panelled vibranium body, the same constantly-moving red plasma instead of hair. Maybe there was something a bit more human about her face. Maybe. She was looking up at the other Wanda, too.

    Ah. Another nightmare, then. Great. I had hoped maybe I was done with those. At least I was lucid enough, in this one, to realise what it was.

    ¡°Sorry we killed you,¡± I said.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything to me that I wasn¡¯t planning to do to you,¡± she responded, eyes still fixed on the distant figure. ¡°It was kill or be killed¡­ I thought it was, at least.¡±

    ¡°Would you do anything differently? If we went around again?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d win.¡± Eliza finally tore her eyes away from the other Wanda. She stared at me for a moment, then shook her head. ¡°¡­Of course I would. I¡¯m not an idiot.¡±

    Eliza and Wanda-3¡­ did they have souls? Would they go to an afterlife? I didn¡¯t know. ¡°Where do you think someone like us ends up when we die?¡± I asked quietly.

    ¡°Nowhere good.¡±

    There was a lull in the conversation, the seconds crawling by. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to try to be better. Wanda-3 deserved better from me,¡± I said, lifting my arm and pointing at the Wanda on top of the wall. She hadn¡¯t moved or reacted to our presence in any way, still just staring at something off in the distance. ¡°Her, too.¡±

    Eliza smiled humourlessly, baring her teeth. ¡°You really think you can be better? That there can be a happy ending waiting for you, at the end of all of this?¡± she said, letting out a small laugh. The AI shook her head. ¡°You really just haven¡¯t been paying attention, have you?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. I¡¯m going to try, still.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t how things go for us. It never is; it never will be. You might be happy now. Briefly. It¡¯ll pass. No matter what else happens, you¡¯ll always end up alone.¡± Eliza joined me in pointing up at the figure atop the tower. ¡°Just. Like. Her.¡±

    I didn¡¯t respond, letting my arm fall back down to the side. It was quiet, here. There was a faint sound at the edge of my hearing¡ªthe far-off howling of wind¡ªbut, apart from that, there was nothing else here.

    Just the three of us.

 Chapter 66

    ¡°Okay, okay, so I had just gotten back from the supermarket with some frozen waffles. I was super frustrated because I wanted the Eggos extra thick and fluffy, cuz you know, you get more bang for your buck that way¡ªthey¡¯re my favourite waffles¡ªbut they were out and so I had to just get regular old chocolate chip.¡±

    Scott cut his friend off with a sigh. ¡°Luis¡­ remember that conversation we had the other day about major details versus minor details? Ugh. Look, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He shot me an imploring look. ¡°I can just tell you what happened. Really.¡±

    ¡°No, no,¡± I said firmly, shaking my head. ¡°It¡¯s important that we hear this from Luis, please.¡±

    Nat had a pained expression on her face. ¡°Is it? Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s a bit freaky, Eliza said the exact same thing; she was like, ¡®Yo, I like you Scotty, but I wanna hear it from Luis cuz he¡¯s awesome¡¯ in like the exact same tone and everything, how weird is that? I actually thought she might¡¯ve been into me, you know, cuz it seemed like she really listened to me when I talked and, I mean, she was fine¡ªlike crazy-stupid fine¡ªyou know? I mean, of course you know, you look exactly like her almost. Uh, sorry, I didn¡¯t mean that in, like, an objectifying way or anything; I¡¯m a feminist, you know? Women are so much more than just their bodies, if you know what I¡¯m saying. I appreciated her mental qualities just as much as her physical ones.¡±

    ¡°Luis,¡± Scott snapped.

    ¡°Sorry, Scotty, right, right, right. Okay, so anyway, I¡¯d gotten back to the office with the waffles and some other stuff and was putting them in the freezer and then there was a knock at the door. My man Kurt gets up and goes and answers it and boom, Eliza¡¯s standing there all, ¡®Hey guys, I¡¯m Eliza, I¡¯m here to talk to Scotty¡¯. Actually, now that I¡¯m thinking about it, it seems weird that she showed up like five seconds after I got back to the office; do you think she was waiting for me to show up?¡±

    ¡°Almost definitely,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have wanted to miss out on meeting you.¡±

    Luis grinned and tilted his head, flattered. ¡°Aw, that¡¯s really nice. I¡¯m really glad I got to meet Eliza too, you know? She seemed cool. I mean, apart from all the ¡®trying to kill the Avengers¡¯ stuff, that definitely isn¡¯t cool, but we didn¡¯t know about that until just now. Uh, so anyway, Eliza says, ¡®Hey, sorry to bother you at your place of business but I know you¡¯re Ant-Man¡¯ and Scotty says, ¡®Whaaaat?¡¯ and the rest of us all go, ¡®Whaaaat?¡¯, but then Eliza says, ¡®You don¡¯t have to act all sus, bros, it¡¯s cool, I ain¡¯t here to cause you any problems; I need your help¡¯. Scotty was a little shifty and worried that she might not want to talk in front of the rest of us like, ¡®Do you want to talk about this privately?¡¯ but she says, ¡®Nah, man, I know these guys are cool¡¯, which was cool because we are cool, right?¡±

    ¡°The coolest,¡± I agreed.

    ¡°You guys have got this, right? You don¡¯t actually need me here for this?¡± Tony said, looking around desperately for a moment before his eyes locked on the exit. ¡°I¡¯m just going to¡­¡± And he was gone.

    ¡°Oh! Bye, Mr Stark! It was really cool meeting you! Where was I? Oh, right, right, right, right, so Eliza told us what she knew about what had happened with Pym Technologies and Darren Cross, the CEO¡ªthat guy was some serious bad news, by the way, he tried to kill my man Scotty and sell tech to HYDRA and stuff but we totally stopped him¡ªand it was super creepy accurate, bro, like she got everything down to a T, it was really freaky, you know? Like she¡¯d been there the whole time.¡±

    Nat shot me a long-suffering smile. ¡°Sounds freaky.¡± She was getting into it, I could tell. Okay, no, that was a lie, she was hating every second of this.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah! That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying!¡± Luis said, gestured emphatically with his hand. ¡°So Eliza was talking to Scotty and she says, ¡®My homegirl Ava was in an accident when she was a little kid that was kinda Hank Pym¡¯s fault and she went all quantum with her molecules and was abused by SHIELD and stuff and now she needs more quantum or she¡¯ll die¡¯. Scotty¡¯s like, ¡®Uh, I don¡¯t know, the quantum stuff¡¯s super dangerous for real¡¯, but Eliza says to him, ¡®I know you went quantum and came back and Pym¡¯s tryin¡¯ to do it again but safe this time so he can find Hope¡¯s mom who got lost down there in like the 80s¡¯ and Scotty says, ¡®Whaaaat? How¡¯d you know that?¡¯ and Eliza¡¯s like, ¡®I know everything¡¯, all super-cool and mysterious.¡±

    I was nodding along encouragingly. ¡°I can literally picture her saying all of those exact words.¡±

    ¡°So Scotty was like, ¡®Alright, but I gotta talk to old man Pym first, gimme your digits and we¡¯ll set something up¡¯. Fast forward a bit and they set up a meeting. Scotty told me that old man Pym¡¯s all sus and stuff right from the start, and he comes at Eliza like, ¡®Yo this is super sus for real, what¡¯re you tryin¡¯ to pull here?¡¯ and Eliza tells him, ¡®Nah, I¡¯m being legit straight up, I¡¯ll tell you what I know about the quantum stuff so you can save your wife but you gotta help Ava, bro¡¯. But Pym says, ¡®Nah, I¡¯m not your bro, man, she¡¯s an ex-SHIELD assassin and probably works for HYDRA or something¡¯, but then Ava jumps in all defensive like, ¡®Eliza¡¯s not your man, buddy, fuck you; Eliza¡¯s killed mad HYDRA like you wouldn¡¯t believe¡¯ and Pym¡¯s like, ¡®I¡¯m not your buddy, I¡¯m super grumpy all of the time; I don¡¯t know you and I don¡¯t like you, peace out¡¯ and then¡­¡± Luis paused for dramatic effect, then punctuated the end of the sentence with an sharp flick of his hand. ¡°He peaced out.¡±

    Steve looked vaguely puzzled. ¡°But I thought you were helping Ava?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, we totally are; I¡¯m getting to that part. See Scotty wanted to see what was up so he followed Eliza and Ava after the meeting back to their secret hideout in that Stark Industries warehouse¡ªI came too because my boy Scott needed some backup and I¡¯d do mad things for him for real, so I was following in the van. I couldn¡¯t drive in, though, so I had to follow on foot and dodge past some robots with my mad stealth skills¡­¡± Luis paused, then looked at Steve. ¡°We actually do security penetration testing as part of our consulting services; do you know who¡¯s covering off on the setup at the new Avengers digs? I know it¡¯s the other side of the country but we have some pretty competitive pricing and maybe we could work out like a special Avengers deal. I think you¡¯d really benefit from some experts that are used to dealing with unusual circumstances and, like, Enhanced individuals and weird technology and stuff, cuz like most won¡¯t have experience with that sort of thing, like how we used Scotty¡¯s super suit and ant mind control to infiltrate Pym Technologies. I mean, if you think about it, just how you¡¯re the Avengers of like, the actual world, X-Con is kind of like the Avengers of the security consulting world and¡ª¡±

    Steve interrupted again. ¡°I feel like we might be getting off track. Again.¡±

    I shushed him, gesturing sharply with my hand before turning eagerly back to Luis. ¡°We¡¯ll pass on your details.¡±

    Luis beamed at me. ¡°Cool, cool, cool, that¡¯s awesome, it¡¯d be really cool to work with you guys. Uh, so, where was I? Oh yeah, I was sneaking around the warehouse trying to keep an eye out for Scotty but I sort of got turned around and didn¡¯t really find much, but then I rendezvoused with him and he says, ¡®These guys seem legit, Eliza says she¡¯s trying to save the world, but I¡¯m worried cuz they¡¯re stealing from Tony Stark¡¯ and I was like, ¡®Word, but if they¡¯re doing it to save the whole world it¡¯s all good, right?¡¯ and he says, ¡®I guess, I do wanna help this Ava chick cuz it¡¯s not her fault she ended up like she did¡¯ and I was sort of distracted because I¡¯d scuffed my Vans, which sucked, cuz you know it was my favourite pair and I always wear Vans, man. Like, I like Adidas, but Vans are breathable and they¡¯re the way to go when I¡¯m not wearing Heelys and I¡¯m wearing those, you know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Dr Martens girl, myself,¡± I said.

    ¡°Right, right, right, no doubt, no doubt¡ªthose look great on you by the way, you¡¯re really rockin¡¯ the big stompy boots.¡±

    ¡°Thanks! My brother got me these. They¡¯re theoretically the stompiest, but I have yet to actually stomp on anyone with them.¡±

    ¡°You know, that¡¯s funny cuz it reminds me of this time my cousin Ignacio was trying to get with this girl Lucia, who¡¯s had the whole vintage glam thing going on¡ªred lipstick, pin curls, the works, and¡ª¡±

    Steve sighed. ¡°Luis, please¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, Cap, sure thing, you got it, you got it. Didn¡¯t meant to get side-tracked there; we can talk shoes later. So then anyway, Scotty and I get back and he goes to Pym and says, ¡®Yo, what happened to Ava¡¯s on you, are you really just gonna let her die?¡¯ and they argue for a bit cuz Pym is all like, ¡®This is super risky, bro, what if they¡¯re working for HYDRA, or worse, what if they¡¯re working for Tony Stark? They might be trying to steal all my secrets¡¯, but then Hope butts in and says, ¡®Nah, dad, it¡¯s risky but you¡¯re being a total paranoid freak, what if these guys are super legit? We can¡¯t just not help her¡¯ and Pym¡¯s all grumpy but he sort of gives in like, ¡®Fine, but I¡¯m gonna say I told you so if they turn out to be heinous¡¯. So, fast forward again a couple of days, Ava comes by and she¡¯s like, ¡®I¡¯m standoffish and bitter about my traumatic past and I¡¯m not here to make friends¡¯ but then, turns out¡­¡± He paused for effect again, then grinned, emphasising his next statement with another sharp gesture. ¡°She does make friends, she¡¯s just bad at it! Won¡¯t admit that she likes us, you know? But we all hang out now and she¡¯s cool.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Natasha gave him an appraising look. ¡°But you don¡¯t know where she is now?¡±

    ¡°Nah, nah, she split like just before you guys showed up, like she knew you were coming or something. It¡¯s hard to keep track of Ava sometimes cuz she can just sort of like phase out of reality and boom, she¡¯s gone. Invisible and passing through the walls kinda stuff, you know? She didn¡¯t really talk much about what she¡¯d been doing with Eliza. I asked her the other night and she just says, ¡®There¡¯s this trick-ass bitch who keeps messing with my homegirl, she thinks she can step to us but we''re too nasty¡¯. That¡¯s you, I think,¡± he said, nodding toward me with an apologetic grimace.

    ¡°They were, in fact, not too nasty,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°How much trouble is Ava in?¡± Scott asked, sounding concerned. ¡°She didn¡¯t know what Eliza was doing, did she?¡±

    Natasha shot him a sympathetic look. ¡°We¡¯re pretty sure she did. Ava was part of a raid in Wakanda; she killed two people there and tried to assassinate a member of their royal family. We can try to mediate with their government¡ªshe was in a bad place and there are some extenuating circumstances¡ªbut to really do that properly we need to be able to talk to her. Before Wakanda come looking.¡±

    Steve and Nat were both glancing toward Luis with worried expressions on their faces, as if, at any moment, he might be provoked into another round of storytelling.

    Scott¡¯s face fell, but he nodded. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll find her and convince her to talk to you. She can¡¯t have gone far.¡± He turned to Steve, a pleading expression on his face. ¡°Cap, listen, she really isn¡¯t a bad person¡­ she just wants to be able to live. Her condition¡¯s killing her. A person isn¡¯t supposed to exist like that. She¡¯s in a lot of pain, all of the time. It¡¯s not her fault.¡±

    ¡°We know,¡± Steve said gently. ¡°We¡¯ll do everything we can for her, but we really need her to cooperate or we won¡¯t be able to help.¡±

    While Steve and Nat sorted out contact details with Scott, Luis sidled up next to me. ¡°Hey, so, I was wondering, are you doing anything after this? Cuz I don¡¯t know, it might just be me but I feel like there might be a real connection here, something worth exploring a little, you know, if you¡¯re, like, available?¡±

    I gave an awkward sort of half-laugh. ¡°Oh. Uh, sorry Luis. I actually have a girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re gay? No problems. That¡¯s cool, that¡¯s cool.¡±

    ¡°Wanda¡¯s bi, actually,¡± Natasha said, suddenly appearing at my other shoulder, an evil gleam in her eye. ¡°And we have a bit of an open relationship. She can date other people; I don¡¯t mind at all.¡±

    I shot her a betrayed look but she just shrugged, a tiny smirk curling the corners of her mouth.

    Luis grinned, then scrunched his nose a little and shrugged. ¡°Oh! I get it, I get it, but nah, that¡¯s not for me. I mean I get it! You got enough love to go around and that¡¯s cool, but I¡¯m like, personally, I just can¡¯t handle that sort of thing, you know? I mean, I¡¯m a one-person kinda guy. Strictly monogamous. I¡¯d just get super jealous and stuff. But respect! You¡¯re living your own truth and that¡¯s beautiful.¡±

    Steve nodded, relieved it was over. ¡°We¡¯ll be in touch.¡±

    --

    ¡°Thanks again for letting me know about Maria. I owe you one,¡± Carol said. Her lips compressed into a thin half-smile and she nodded her head. ¡°She¡¯s set up some appointments and hopefully they¡¯ll catch the cancer as early as possible.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± I shot her an encouraging smile. ¡°I really hope it makes a difference.¡±

    ¡°Me too. It was good, seeing them.¡± Carol paused, looking thoughtful for a moment as she turned to the window to look out over the grounds of the Avengers compound.

    Carol had stopped by the compound for a little while¡ªshe was planning on heading off-world again soon, but I¡¯d managed to catch her first. I wasn¡¯t sure where everyone else was right now, but the two of us had the main common area to ourselves. We were standing at the far end of the briefing room segment, near the back corner. Carol was in her full blue, red and gold Captain Marvel regalia¡ªthe uniform she¡¯d been wearing during the fight with Eliza had been trashed, so I guessed she must have had a spare. There was absolutely no sign of any of the injuries she¡¯d taken, either, which meant she healed even faster than Steve and I did.

    Thinking about injuries made me glance down at my hand. The bandages had come off already, with thin, freshly-healed pink lines all the evidence that remained of the fact that I¡¯d nearly lost two entire fingers. It still felt weird to be missing the tip of my ring finger¡ªit was a less important finger, but it was surprising just how often I noticed that I didn¡¯t have it when I went to pick something up or touch something. I hadn¡¯t had to type on a keyboard just yet, but I imagined that was going to be weird, too. I wondered how long it would take to get used to it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I kept putting it off, really,¡± Carol confessed quietly. She glanced toward me. ¡°Something just¡­ you know when you mean to do something, but then you take longer than you mean to, and if you do anything about it now it draws attention to the fact that it¡¯s already so late, so you just keep putting it off and putting it off, but by doing that it just makes it worse and worse?¡±

    I let out a small laugh. ¡°Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I think I¡¯ve been a bit that way with looking after myself properly. I¡¯m trying to be a bit better about that, too.¡±

    Carol nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I come visit regularly. I don¡¯t want it to happen again.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving, then?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s still a lot to do out there,¡± she said, glancing back toward me. ¡°There are a lot of other planets in the universe that don¡¯t have the Avengers to look out for them.¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ hold off on going after Thanos for a bit, okay? We should have a couple of years before he makes a play for the Stones. He¡¯s probably off doing other stuff in the meantime, but he has a lot of firepower backing him up and we should be careful and only take a run at him when we¡¯re ready.¡±

    I knew that Carol was perfectly capable of taking down Thanos in a one-on-one fight, but throw in his Black Order, whatever other backup he might have, and on his home turf? Things became a little bit less certain, and I wasn¡¯t keen to take any chances. Corvus Glaive¡¯s weapon, at the very least, had stabbed right through Vision¡¯s vibranium-infused body without difficulty, so there was a good chance it could potentially hurt or kill Carol, too. Now that I thought about it, Carol had only ever fought an unarmed and unarmoured Thanos, thanks to me¡ªthe Mad Titan¡¯s personal blade had hacked through Steve¡¯s shield so, again, could theoretically hurt her. It would be a little bit of a gamble for her to go in alone, and an utterly unnecessary one given how much time we had to prepare.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said. ¡°I won¡¯t go after him on my own. I want to do my research first, anyway. There are some people I need to talk to.¡±

    ¡°Can you try reaching out to the Guardians of the Galaxy?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s personal between them and Thanos. They¡¯d be useful allies to have for the fight.¡±

    Carol looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded again. ¡°I have no idea where they are right now, but sure, I can look into it.¡±

    ¡°The Nova Corps on Xandar might be able to point you in the right direction. Otherwise, there¡¯s a place called Knowhere¡ªit¡¯s a sort of former mining colony turned black market, inside the severed head of a dead Celestial. If I was looking for them, I¡¯d start there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it. I¡¯ll check it out.¡±

    ¡°Oh! And if it¡¯s okay, I¡¯d like to test if I can still portal to you, once you¡¯re¡­¡± I gestured vaguely with my hand. ¡°Off in space somewhere. Far away. I still don¡¯t know how the magic works properly, so we¡¯ll just have to experiment.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure, that sounds fine. I¡¯m going to show Tony how to rig up something that can reach me properly, so we¡¯ll be able to set up a time to touch base and test it out whenever.¡± The faint shadow of a frown passed across her face. ¡°Actually, I wanted to ask¡­ do you think anything bad would happen if I gave Tony a copy of my jump point nav data and told him what he needed to rig up a drive capable of using it?¡±

    ¡°Uh. I have no idea, to be honest,¡± I said, my expression turning pensive. I had a vague sense of ominous foreboding when I thought about Tony Stark getting involved in the space side of the things, but I couldn¡¯t think of a specific concern I had about what he might get up to. Plus, getting the Avengers space-capable would be a big plus if I couldn¡¯t work out the trick of being able to create portals at interstellar distances. ¡°The only thing I might be worried about is the US Government catching wind and demanding access. The absolute last thing we need is to give America the opportunity to try to do a space imperialism. Uh, no offence.¡±

    Carol smirked and shook her head. ¡°None taken. It¡¯s been a long time since I was in the Airforce.¡±

    ¡°Okay, um, there was one other thing I kind of wanted to ask you,¡± I said, feeling a little bit of nervous energy rising in my chest. The timing of this wasn¡¯t super ideal, but I really didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get many better opportunities, especially not anytime soon with Carol jetting back off to space. I¡¯d raised the idea with Nat and she¡¯d been encouraging, so fuck it. Might as well go for it.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°So¡­ Natasha and I. We¡¯re officially together now. We¡¯re in a good space. But we¡¯re¡­ open. Like, not exclusive.¡± I hesitated for a moment as she straightened up, a faint, fleeting look of surprise on her face, before I bulled ahead and just said what I wanted to say, the words tumbling out of my mouth in a rush. ¡°And I know I flirt a lot, with everyone, all the time, but I¡¯m actually very attracted to you. I don¡¯t know if you noticed that. I like you a lot. And I like to think that I¡¯m pretty cool, too, so, are you, uh, interested?¡± I asked, making myself cringe a little bit. ¡°Am I coming on too strong?¡±

    I saw what I thought¡ªor hoped, rather¡ªwas maybe the glimmer of a smile in Carol¡¯s expression. ¡°I have a lot going on. I move around a lot and I can¡¯t really commit to anything.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a no,¡± I pointed out, my tone hopeful.

    The corner of her mouth twitched. ¡°It¡¯s not a no,¡± she confirmed. ¡°I just¡­ we barely know each other.¡±

    ¡°For now,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, I know they say ¡®don¡¯t judge a book by its cover¡¯, but that¡¯s actually exactly how you do judge a book. The cover looks interesting and fun, then you pick it up, get¡­ get inside, and see if you really like it.¡±

    Carol raised an eyebrow, looking at me appraisingly for a moment, then straightened up and took a couple of vaguely intimidating steps forward. On reflex, my body tried to step back, but I suddenly found that my back was pressed up against the wall. Her hand came up, planting itself firmly against the wall above my shoulder as she leaned forward, coming right into my personal space. I shrunk down slightly, my eyes widening with surprise. Her eyes flicked down briefly before she leaned forward even closer. ¡°Get inside, huh?¡± she asked quietly.

    I swallowed nervously and bit my lip; a small, involuntary sound escaping the back of my throat. My cheeks were burning¡ªI must have gone bright red. I¡¯d been nervous to start, but now my heart was hammering in my chest. Nat was right, wasn¡¯t she? I got flustered way, way too easily. God, Carol was standing close. I could feel her breath, hot on my skin. She¡¯d barely done anything and I was almost alarmingly turned on already.

    Carol let out a small chuckle, obviously pleased with my reaction. ¡°Well, I suppose I don¡¯t have to leave right away.¡±

 Chapter 67

    I sat alone in Natasha¡¯s apartment. The lights were off but the TV was on, Netflix playing through season three of Orange Is the New Black. The volume was almost all the way down and I wasn¡¯t really watching it at all¡ªI just liked to have something playing in the background. It already felt a little sad to be sitting here by myself, drinking, and it¡¯d be a lot worse if I was sitting entirely in the dark. The images flashing by on screen just did the bare minimum to draw my brain back into the present, letting me still actually process thoughts instead of just staring blankly ahead.

    Two bottles of Teacher¡¯s sat on the coffee table; one was completely empty and I¡¯d made a start on the second. While the benefits of having taken the Heart-Shaped Herb far outweighed the negatives, it was still extremely disappointing that I was almost immune to mortal alcohol. In the memories I had from another life¡ªnow that I was removed from the situation, with the perspective I had on it all now¡ªI was pretty sure I¡¯d been a high-functioning alcoholic and I was really starting to miss being able to get drunk. Maybe I should try Everclear? I was pretty sure there was a 95 per cent version; that might work. I thought I was starting to feel a little bit of a buzz, but it was faint and I might have just been imagining it. I¡¯d definitely have to see if I could get more of that Asgardian liquor once Thor got back. They had to have barrels of the stuff, right? Surely they could spare one.

    With any luck, it wouldn¡¯t take too long for the Asgardian prince to return with news on the Celestial front. I grimaced to myself, thinking about it. I¡¯d realised a little while ago that I¡¯d probably messed up a bit with the way I¡¯d handled the whole Odin-Loki situation. When I¡¯d first met with the Avengers, I¡¯d held off on telling Thor about what his brother was up to¡ªfrom his perspective, he¡¯d watched Loki nobly sacrifice his life in a final glorious moment of redemption less than a year ago, and was still grieving his loss. I¡¯d worried that he would respond poorly to me just immediately dumping the truth on him right away¡­ ¡®Oh, hey, by the way, your brother didn¡¯t actually sacrifice himself, he¡¯s just as much of a shit as ever¡¯ had seemed like a tricky sell.

    However, immediately after the successful mission to take down the Red Room had probably been the perfect time to tell him. The mission had pretty definitively established my credentials and earned me the benefit of the doubt with the Avengers. It had almost certainly been enough that Thor would have at least listened without getting angry at me for sullying the memory of his lost brother. I¡¯d just been so distracted at the time, thanks to everything that was happening with Natasha, and by the time I remembered that I¡¯d needed to tell him he¡¯d already departed for Asgard.

    When it came down to it, though, it was yet another thing that I didn¡¯t actually need to rush on. There were still at least two full years before Ragnar?k had occurred in the original timeline, so a couple of extra weeks or months with Odin in a retirement home was probably not going to make a big difference. It was still Thor¡¯s personal, family business, so it wouldn¡¯t really feel right trying to deal with it behind his back before he returned. I¡¯d wait ¡®til he got back, then broach the topic whenever it seemed appropriate. Thor might be a little annoyed that I¡¯d held off on telling him about it, but still, I couldn¡¯t imagine it would really matter in the long run. He might have even found out on his own by now, in any case¡ªI¡¯d given him lots of things to question ¡®Odin¡¯ about and, when it came down to it, Loki was kind of a terrible actor.

    I was a little worried that Thor¡¯s little excursion to Omnipotence City had been a wild goose chase, too. I still didn¡¯t really have any other good ideas or answers when it came to dealing with the nascent Celestial that was growing within the Earth. The Emergence wouldn¡¯t happen for another two or three years, so we still had plenty of time to come up with something, but it was harder to take the long view on something like that when we didn¡¯t have any viable plans to deal with it. Maybe it would be worth reaching out to a couple of the Eternals, after all.

    Ikaris would probably eventually be a problem no matter what, but the rest of the Eternals were basically just trying to live their lives in peace. I didn¡¯t want to drag them into things if I didn¡¯t have to but, when it came right down to it, their Uni-Mind was the only thing I knew for a fact could stop the Emergence. I just didn¡¯t know how they¡¯d react at this point. Ajak was the only one who knew the truth about their mission. The Blip¡ªhumanity being capable of something that saved half the universe¡ªhad been what had swayed her, the thing that had caused her to doubt their mission after millions of years. Without that happening, I had no idea what she or the others would do. A couple might side with us, but we couldn¡¯t rely on most of them and, if it turned out they didn¡¯t want to help, then alerting them to our plans to stop the Emergence risked having them become enemies instead.

    Then again, I¡¯d already thought several times about reaching out to Gilgamesh and Thena, living in their self-imposed exile in the Australian Outback. The Mahd Wy¡¯ry that Thena suffered from was essentially a degenerative mental condition, with memories from former lives she¡¯d led ¡®leaking¡¯ out into her conscious mind from where her creator had hidden them. I felt like I¡¯d been getting steadily better at repairing damaged or controlled minds¡ªI had no idea if an Eternal¡¯s mind was similar enough to a human¡¯s that I could help her, but if I could help her it would be a great way to open relations. Even if we didn¡¯t go to them for help with the Emergence, they could still potentially prove to be powerful allies. I¡¯d put it on the list; something to do in the next couple of weeks if Thor hadn¡¯t returned by then.

    Speaking of damaged minds¡­ I still needed to fix Bucky. I was refreshing the wards keeping the Winter Soldier persona at bay every so often, but hadn¡¯t quite worked out how to fully undo what was effectively decades of botched, amateur psychic surgery that HYDRA had wrought on his mind. Ironically, it seemed like the refined nature of something like the Red Room¡¯s chemical control process had been easier for me to deal with than the mess that was going on in Bucky¡¯s head was.

    Or the mess that was going on in mine, for that matter. There was still so much else to do, but taking care of myself was the priority right now. Everything else could wait; there was nothing pressing that I needed to take action on anytime soon. I took a deep breath, making a deliberate effort to push it all out of my mind for now, then drained the rest of my glass and helped myself to another.

    Pietro and I had spent a whole year at the mercy of HYDRA, undergoing invasive experimentation and their idea of ¡®training¡¯¡ªbrutal, endless exercises that had nearly broken me time and time again. Then we¡¯d gone on the run from the Avengers, Kamar-taj had tried to banish me from the world, there¡¯d been the mess in Wakanda¡­ we finally eventually managed to sit down with the Avengers, but then there¡¯d been barely any time to breathe before Eliza had fucked everything up. So much had happened.

    Nat and Pietro were right. I¡¯d run myself completely ragged. I hadn¡¯t taken the time to really process any of what had happened to me¡ªwhat was still happening to me. I was making mistakes. I was always, always, always rushing around. What I really needed to do right now was slow down. Take some time to get my head on straight. Not everything needed to be a crisis. I had time. I had so much time. I just needed to start acting like it.

    I still had no idea who or what I was. At first, I¡¯d thought I was someone else, another mind that had been dropped into Wanda¡¯s body. Okay. Isekai. Transmigration. These were things I understood, even if the ¡®how¡¯ or ¡®why¡¯ eluded me. Then, it turned out that my soul was actually identical to Wanda¡¯s. Pietro told me that I¡¯d been acting like Wanda the whole time. I started to recall bits and pieces of my memories from before HYDRA. Okay, so there was still Wanda in me, or I was Wanda and had just been given memories from elsewhere, or whatever. That was fine, that had still made some sort of sense.

    But then, more recently, I¡¯d started to remember bits and pieces from the original Wanda¡¯s life, from her perspective, that hadn¡¯t even happened in this timeline. I remembered using my magic to tear apart Ultron¡¯s drones, fighting through Novi Grad to stop him and ripping his heart out when Pietro had died. I remembered falling in love with Vision. I remembered him dying. I remembered my children¡ªBilly and Tommy¡ªand I remembered losing them, as well. I could feel the ragged holes that their absences had left inside me. What did that mean? How was that possible? I had no clues, nothing even pointing at a direction that might lead me to answers.

    I needed to understand my magic better, too, but I had no idea what the best way to do that was. I wished that Kamar-?taj wasn¡¯t still so inaccessible to me¡ªI didn¡¯t really know anywhere else I could learn about witchcraft. The Ancient One had said our truce still stood, but being willing to work with us to stop Eliza and Kaecilius was vastly different to being willing to provide me with tools that would actively empower me. Even if she wasn¡¯t as worried about me as a threat from another world anymore, I was still the Scarlet Witch and she knew the prophecies about me as well as anyone.

    The Hex I¡¯d created in Wakanda was even more of a flawed mess than what had happened at Westview in the original timeline and I didn¡¯t know why. I wanted to try again, but I didn¡¯t even know where to start understanding what I¡¯d done wrong or how to do better next time.

    Westview. God, even thinking about it was painful.

    Then again, if I was remembering things from the original timeline¡ªif I did have some connection to that version of myself¡ªthen maybe that was my clue? My lead? Fighting Eliza had triggered memories of Ultron. There was the familiarity I felt at the Avengers compound. If I was really serious about working through my issues, maybe this was a potential avenue to better understanding of what had happened to me? If I paid a visit to Westview, it might also kickstart some memories about the Hex and what I might need to fully awaken my chaos magic. To harness my full potential as the Scarlet Witch.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    I bit my lip. Part of me rebelled at the idea; I really, really didn¡¯t want to go to Westview. Knowing my luck, the place would just be a fucked-up minefield of bad memories.

    If I did go, it would almost definitely be bad idea to do it by myself. Part of me didn¡¯t want to bother anyone with this. This was just me sorting through my shit. I didn¡¯t want to be any more of a burden then I already was. But part of being better about my issues was remembering that I had people who cared about me. Nat had directly told me to ask for her help if I needed it. If I decided to go, without asking for support, and something bad happened¡­ No. I couldn¡¯t do that. I¡¯d talk to Nat and Pietro. Plan a trip for sometime next week, maybe, and ask if they¡¯d come with me. After I¡¯d had at least a little bit of time to process and relax.

    There were a few other things that would be happening first, in any case. The Stark Relief Foundation had been picking up Peter¡¯s medical bills, as I¡¯d hoped they would¡ªI¡¯d been told that he¡¯d been recovering extremely well. After I went and got him fucking shot, I mean. I felt a knot in my stomach as I thought about him. He had every right to blame me for what had happened. Did he hate me, for almost getting him killed? For putting Ned and May in danger? For effectively outing him to them? Part of me thought it might be better if I just left him to the Avengers and cut myself out of the equation entirely, but I also wasn¡¯t sure if that was because it would be best for Peter or because I just didn¡¯t know how I was going to face him.

    The sound of hurried footsteps outside the apartment, followed by someone running into the front door hard enough to shake it in its frame, suddenly roused me from my thoughts. I rose to my feet, facing toward the door, instinctively calling wisps of chaos magic to my hands. After a brief struggle with the door, Yelena burst into the apartment, slamming the door behind her before leaning back against it, practically gasping for air. After a brief second, she looked over and saw me¡ªour eyes met and she froze. She swallowed, trying and failing to get her breathing under control. ¡°Hey,¡± she said, with poorly feigned nonchalance.

    ¡°¡­Hi?¡± I responded hesitantly, hands still held at the ready. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond right away, staring at me like a deer caught in headlights. ¡°¡­What?¡± she asked after a moment, as if there was no possible reason anything would be currently going on right now.

    My eyes narrowed suspiciously. ¡°What did you do?¡±

    Yelena straightened up, double-checking that the door was locked behind her, then took a few steps forward, shrugging her shoulders dismissively. ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°I thought the Red Room trained better liars. What did you do?¡±

    ¡°Nobody died!¡± she said, a little defensively.

    I dropped my hands to my sides, letting the magic I¡¯d conjured dissipate. ¡°What kind of an answer is that?!¡±

    Yelena finally spied the bottles of alcohol in front of me, an unrecognisable, fleeting expression flickering across her face as she glanced around the dark apartment. ¡°Were you just drinking by yourself in here?¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, you don¡¯t get to just change the subject.¡±

    She ignored me, stepped briefly over to the kitchen to retrieve another glass before returning and plopping down heavily on the couch. ¡°This is my bed, you know,¡± she said, a little petulantly. ¡°I don¡¯t go around sitting on your bed when you¡¯re not here.¡± She grabbed my bottle of scotch and helped herself to what looked like a triple, knocking the whole thing back in a single gulp, grimacing slightly as she swallowed and letting out a vaguely pained sigh.

    I sat back down next to her. ¡°Sure, Yelena, you can have some of my scotch,¡± I said, my tone sending a little petulance right back at her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do.¡± She refilled her glass.

    ¡°Are you going to tell me what happened?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s fine. Nothing important.¡± She hesitated for a moment. ¡°Nothing you need to worry about, at least,¡± she amended. She twisted on the couch, bringing one of her legs up under herself so she could face me properly. She motioned to the alcohol bottles. ¡°What have you been doing?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ thinking,¡± I said.

    ¡°Thinking about what?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know. The horrors.¡±

    Yelena blinked. ¡°¡­and by ¡®horrors¡¯ you mean?¡±

    I smirked and shook my head. I supposed that uncertainty was fair. Given my ¡®visions¡¯, I very well could have actually meant that literally. ¡°Just life. Everything that¡¯s happened. Stuff that still needs to happen.¡±

    ¡°Right. The horrors. Hilarious.¡±

    ¡°You make jokes sometimes, too, you know,¡± I said wryly.

    ¡°Yes, but my jokes are good jokes, because I have things like self-respect. And dignity.¡± She gestured vaguely toward me. ¡°Things you are clearly not burdened with.¡±

    That made me chuckle. ¡°Fair.¡±

    Yelena grinned back, eyes glinting with the reflected light of the TV. ¡°Seriously. What¡¯s up?¡±

    On the TV in front of us, Laura Prepon pinned a blonde woman to the floor as they started angrily making out. ¡°You know,¡± I said, my attention held briefly by the scene. ¡°I¡¯ve never actually watched this show properly. Maybe I should.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, §é§ä§à §ä§à§Ý§î§Ü§à §ñ §Õ§Ý§ñ §ä§Ö§Ò§ñ §ß§Ö §Õ§Ö§Ý§Ñ§ð.¡±

    ¡°Natasha asked you to keep an eye on me, didn¡¯t she?¡±

    Yelena paused, tilting her head to one side and weighing my expression. ¡°She did. But that¡¯s not why I¡¯m asking,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°I still owe you, too. A little.¡±

    I reached out, grabbing the bottle of scotch. I poured myself another glass, then leant over to top up Yelena¡¯s as well before clinking them together.

    --

    ¡°So then Eliza impaled me on her sword-hand, like, right through here.¡± I tapped the middle of my torso. ¡°And lifted me up into the air like a shish kabob.¡±

    ¡°No, but that wouldn¡¯t work,¡± Yelena argued, scrunching up her face and shaking her head. Her words weren¡¯t slurred, exactly, but her accent was coming out a lot thicker than usual. ¡°Your body weight would pull you down and it¡¯d cut you in half.¡± She reached over, poking me in the spot I had indicated with a finger, then swiped it upwards demonstratively, making a cutting sound with her mouth as she flicked over a quick path up my chest, through my collarbone and out my shoulder.

    ¡°Yeah, but she did something,¡± I countered. ¡°Reconfigured her arm inside me so that that wouldn¡¯t happen, so she could monologue some more before she killed me.¡±

    ¡°Why? That¡¯s dumb. You¡¯re both dumb. She could have just killed you with the sword that she was literally already stabbing you with.¡±

    ¡°She could have. I mean, she was using some pretty¡­¡± I paused briefly, trying to keep a straight face, ¡°¡­cutting-edge technology.¡±

    Yelena groaned and threw her head back against the couch dramatically. ¡°Why are you like this? You could be literally any other way.¡±

    ¡°The more visceral a reaction I provoke from you, the more it nourishes me,¡± I teased.

    ¡°I need another drink.¡±

    I obliged her with a grin. We¡¯d already polished off what had been left of my second bottle of scotch and had moved on to a third. ¡°But yeah, when she was talking, I managed to slap her with Wanda-3. She went down and¡­ that was it. Done.¡±

    ¡°I still think there had to have been a better way to do things. Creating another AI was a huge risk.¡±

    ¡°Eh. It worked, didn¡¯t it?¡± I rubbed at my formerly-severed fingers absently. ¡°I¡¯ve actually been vaguely thinking about maybe getting a tattoo,¡± I said. Yelena side-eyed me, her expression flat, as though she couldn¡¯t tell whether I was joking or not. ¡°¡­What?¡±

    She shifted position, letting out a small, involuntary grunt of effort as she straightened up and looked at me seriously. ¡°You¡¯re not also going to try cutting your own bangs, right?¡±

    I snorted. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. To memorialise Wanda-3, I mean. She didn¡¯t have a body to bury or anything like that. It doesn¡¯t feel like there¡¯s any closure there; I don¡¯t really have anything physical to remember her by and I¡¯d really like to. Remember her, that is.¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ I guess that sounds like it could be a good idea?¡± Yelena said uncertainly, slightly listing to one side.

    ¡°Oh. That reminds me, I really need to check with Bucky and make sure he¡¯s actually going to therapy still.¡±

    Yelena let out a soft snort of amusement. ¡°What about you? Shouldn¡¯t you be in therapy?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve tried therapy before. It didn¡¯t suit me,¡± I said, shaking my head. I tilted my glass in her direction. ¡°What about you? You¡¯ve got plenty of your own trauma to unpack.¡±

    ¡°The Stark Relief Foundation has a support group for ex-Widows. I went once or twice.¡± She grimaced, then shot me a wry smile. ¡°It didn¡¯t suit me.¡±

    ¡°What, then?¡±

    ¡°What, what?¡±

    ¡°What are you, you know, doing? You go out a lot but I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been up to.¡±

    Yelena frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know, really,¡± she confessed. ¡°It¡¯s hard, you know? I¡¯ve never had to decide what to do with myself before. I¡¯ve just been¡­ around. I don¡¯t really know what I want.¡±

    ¡°No one really starts out knowing exactly what they want out of life. You missed out on a lot of time because of the Red Room¡ªtime you¡¯d normally have had to work things out a bit,¡± I said, taking another swig of alcohol. ¡°Have you thought about joining the Avengers? They¡¯d take you in a heartbeat, I think.¡±

    She pulled a face. ¡°Ugh. No. I don¡¯t want to be a fancy hero on kids¡¯ lunchboxes. That¡¯s Natasha¡¯s world.¡±

    ¡°I understand wanting something for yourself, but don¡¯t knock it ¡®til you try it.¡± I leaned over to nudge her with my shoulder. ¡°Nat¡¯s a little bit fixated on being an Avenger. She still feels so much guilt over all the things she did when she was with the Red Room and, for her, it¡¯s a way of making up for things. Uh, not that I think either of you should feel guilty or have anything to make up for. None of that was your fault. All I mean is¡­ she¡¯s an Avenger because she wants to do something good with her life. At least, that¡¯s how it started. They¡¯re her family now, just as much as you are. Family¡¯s important. Speaking of¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you ask me about Alexei I will punch you,¡± Yelena interrupted me.

    ¡°Things going that well, huh?¡± I let out a small laugh. ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    There were a few moments of companionable silence before she spoke again. ¡°¡­Maybe I should get a tattoo.¡±

    I perked up, beaming at her. ¡°A symbol of asserting ownership over your own body, after having it controlled by someone else for so long. Yes! I love it.¡± My eyes widened as a thought occurred to me. ¡°We could get tattoos together! I mean, like, not the same tattoo, obviously, but we could go together. If you wanted to, I mean.¡±

    Yelena chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°You¡¯re such a dork.¡±

    I stood up and started to pace, prowling restlessly back and forth in front of the couch. ¡°What¡¯s the time?¡±

    ¡°We are not going to go get drunk tattoos at¡­¡± she checked her phone. ¡°Eleven thirty at night.¡±

    ¡°Not that,¡± I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s still early. We should go out. Oh! We could go do karaoke!¡±

    Yelena shot me a flat look. ¡°I am not doing karaoke.¡±

    Reaching down, I took her by her wrist, hauled her to her feet, and started steering her toward the door. ¡°Come on!¡±

    ¡°This is unfair!¡± Yelena protested, struggling not to laugh as I pushed at her, disbelief warring with amusement in her tone as she barely managed to put her glass down on the table before I moved her past it. ¡°I¡¯m drunk and you¡¯re unreasonably strong!¡±

    I bulldozed over her objections, insistently prodding her toward the door. Yelena complained the whole way, but, even so, less than twenty minutes later she was right next to me, belting out Don McLean¡¯s American Pie at the top of her lungs.

    It ended up being a pretty good night.

 Chapter 68

    ¡°We are extending a great deal of trust, here,¡± King T¡¯Chaka said, his expression serious. ¡°Not all agree that this is wise.¡±

    ¡°Baba, if we have learned anything from recent days, it is that we have no other choice. Wakanda can no longer simply watch from the shadows.¡± T¡¯Challa turned, casting his gaze around the throne room and lingering on several of the other, less-impressed looking occupants as he spoke. He was talking to them, more than his father. The king had already made his decision; this little back and forth was mostly just for the Council¡¯s benefit. ¡°There are threats in this world¡ªand from beyond it¡ªthat Wakanda cannot handle alone. If we are to survive, we must pool our knowledge and resources with trusted allies in the outside world.¡±

    M''Kathu¡ªelder of the Border Tribe, his face covered in scarred bumps that mimicked the skin of a crocodile¡ªshook his head and scoffed. ¡°¡®Trusted¡¯ allies like a former arms dealer and the remnants of an American spy agency.¡±

    ¡°Tony Stark risked his life alongside my sister and I, as did all of the Avengers,¡± T¡¯Challa reminded them. ¡°He has seen the errors of his past and dedicated his life to protecting the world. Beyond this, he is a truly brilliant man, and the only one I have ever seen meet my sister on an even footing. We will gain much from working with him.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s to stop the Avengers from turning over our secrets to the US Government and other nations? Revealing us to the world?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± T¡¯Challa responded simply. ¡°But if that was going to happen, it is too late to stop it in any case. The Avengers already have much knowledge of our country and our technology. If they wished to betray us, they could simply do so now.¡±

    ¡°That is not terribly convincing or reassuring,¡± Zawavari, elder of the Mining Tribe, said, shooting him a wry look as she smoothed out her intricately-patterned blue dress.

    ¡°Tony Stark has firmly and repeatedly rejected the efforts of the US Government to obtain his own technology. The Avengers stand to gain many more benefits from holding our trust than they would in outing us to the world. It would be senseless. There are risks involved in this partnership with the Avengers, but they are far outweighed by the potential benefits to our people.¡±

    ¡°Benefits that include access to Dr Bruce Banner,¡± M''Kathu pointed out. ¡°Your concerns about your sister¡¯s condition are shared by us all, but that does not mean we should risk¡ª¡±

    T¡¯Challa cut him off sharply, a small spike of anger in his tone. ¡°My sister¡¯s condition is none of this Council¡¯s concern.¡± He paused and sighed loudly, shaking his head as he looked around at the gathered elders. ¡°It is time we consider opening ourselves more to the world. Finally coming out of the shadows. We gain nothing from burying our heads in the sand and continuing on as we always have. Now, more than ever, illusions of division threaten our very existence. In times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish cower behind barriers.¡±

    The Border Tribe elder scowled at him. ¡°Mind your words. You are not king yet. Wakanda¡¯s barriers have protected our people for thousands of years.¡±

    ¡°And yet, what my son says rings true to my ears,¡± said King T¡¯Chaka, raising a hand to silence the other man. ¡°I have already heard your protests and concerns. This is not my son¡¯s decision¡ªit is mine. Vibranium was stolen from us and used to create terrible weapons. Without the Avengers and their allies, Wakanda would have been overcome.¡±

    T¡¯Challa nodded firmly at his father, raising his voice slightly as he addressed the Tribal Council once again. ¡°We can no longer stand with our backs to the rest of the world, lest we find a dagger in it. We must instead face forward, a hand extended in peace. We all know the truth¡ªthere is more that connects the people of this world than separates us. We must find a way forward, together, as if we were one single tribe.¡±

    ¡°And what of the Red Woman?¡± Zawavari asked mildly. She moved her foot, gently prodding at the claw-like gouges that Wanda Maximoff had carved into the raw stone of the floor between them with the toe of her shoe.

    The scars in the rock had since been filled in with silver-black vibranium, textured to look almost molten. T¡¯Challa wasn¡¯t completely sure why his father had chosen to memorialise the Red Woman¡¯s visit in such a way, rather than to erase the marks. Then again, they did look vaguely like the marks left by a panther¡¯s paws, and Wanda¡ªmuch to T¡¯Challa¡¯s ongoing frustration¡ªstill held the blessing of the goddess.

    ¡°The Red Woman is no longer our concern,¡± T¡¯Challa said firmly, trying not to think about the last conversation he had had with Shuri about the woman. There had been shouting. ¡°The king has rendered his judgement.¡±

    ¡°If there is nothing further,¡± the king added, quickly interceding to cut off whatever comments the elders were about to unleash. ¡°I believe my son has a plane to catch.¡± T¡¯Challa¡¯s father smiled at him and nodded, dismissing him.

    T¡¯Challa bowed his head deeply. ¡°Thank you, baba. I will report back to the Council upon my return.¡±

    With that, he turned and left¡ªthe Border Tribesmen standing at attention at the entrance to the throne room opening the doors for him before he turned and headed down the hallway leading to the Royal Talon¡¯s landing pad.

    Less than fifteen minutes later, he had touched down on one of the landing zones flanking the main building at the Great Mound facility and headed inside. Catching the elevator down to Shuri¡¯s personal lab, he emerged to find her carefully going over the contents of a hovering trolley laden high with metal crates, checking it against some sort of checklist or other inventory projected on a holographic display above her wrist. The trolley was one of five¡ªvibranium and other supplies that Shuri intended on taking with her to the Avengers compound. His sister was so focused on her task that she did not immediately react to T¡¯Challa¡¯s presence, her lips forming the outlines of words as she spoke to herself quietly under her breath, her face a mask of concentration.

    ¡°Women always pack too much,¡± T¡¯Challa joked, to catch her attention. ¡°I am not sure there is enough room in the Royal Talon for all of this.¡±

    ¡°This is not a holiday, brother. Everything here is necessary,¡± Shuri said tightly¡ªa bare instant later, her shoulders relaxed and she shot him a slightly apologetic smile. She crossed her arms over her chest and he mimicked her, both of them lightly tapping their chests with closed fists. ¡°I¡¯m nervous,¡± she confessed.

    ¡°I would be amazed if you were not,¡± T¡¯Challa said with a sympathetic smile. ¡°This will be your first time away from Wakanda.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± she said, waving a hand dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ I don¡¯t know. It will be interesting to work with Tony Stark and Dr Banner again.¡±

    ¡°Is my little sister afraid that she cannot keep up with the big, smart, American men without the full resources of the Great Mound at her fingertips and dozens of staff at her every beck and call?¡± he teased.

    Shuri¡¯s eyes blazed as she rounded on him. ¡°Careful, brother. It is not wise to make me angry, these days. You wouldn¡¯t like me when I¡¯m angry.¡±

    T¡¯Challa grinned, holding up his hands in a silent apology. Though Shuri hadn¡¯t directly admitted it, he knew that she had really enjoyed working with the Avengers despite the circumstances of their meeting. While his sister was obviously already used to working with others, she was also used to being the smartest person in the room by a significant margin, and with Tony Stark that position was no longer certain. The man had managed to push and challenge her in new ways, forcing her out of complacent habits and to evaluate things from angles she hadn¡¯t considered before. T¡¯Challa was certain that this little temporary residency would be nothing but good for her.

    His sister reached over, shoving his chest playfully, then gestured at the assorted materials in front of her. ¡°Give me a hand with all of this,¡± she ordered.

    Nearly three hours later, the Royal Talon was sitting on a small landing pad outside the main hanger of the Avengers compound in upstate New York, a pair of Dora Milaje unloading the overstuffed cargo compartment. A stocky, broad-shouldered man with short, dark hair, wearing a suit and tie¡ªHappy, Stark had called him¡ªwas trying to lend them some assistance and being amusingly stymied at every turn.

    ¡°Looks like you brought half the Great Mound with you,¡± Stark said to Shuri, grinning lightly. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of vibranium.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve brought some gifts for the team¡ªthe prosthetics we talked about, among other things,¡± she said with a nod, pausing before shooting him a mildly smug smile. ¡°Also, after your ancient, lumbering wreck of a suit gave out, I thought perhaps you might be interested in my ideas for some upgrades.¡±

    ¡°Christmas, huh?¡± Dr Banner said brightly, glancing toward his colleague.

    Stark¡¯s expression had turned thoughtful, wheels already turning in his head. ¡°I am very interested in taking a deeper dive into your nanotech. I may have some ideas myself.¡±

    ¡°I suppose I can humour an old man,¡± Shuri said with a sniff.

    ¡°A couple of old men,¡± Dr Banner replied with an easy smile. ¡°The facilities here aren¡¯t going to be quite what you¡¯re used to, I¡¯m afraid¡ªwe¡¯re still not quite done installing everything in the labs. Getting there, though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will do for now. I¡¯ll probably have to do some redecorating anyway¡ªAmerican design sensibilities leave much to be desired. How am I supposed to think properly in such a bland environment?¡± A moment after she¡¯d spoken, Shuri¡¯s whole body tensed up, her expression turning wooden, and she almost immediately turned and walked back over to where her belongings were being unloaded.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Shuri? What¡ª¡± T¡¯Challa stopped as he noticed that Pietro Maximoff had just stepped out of the nearby main entrance to the hangar.

    The younger man stopped, hesitating for a moment, then walked over, closing the distance between them. Dr Banner and Stark exchanged an uncomfortable look, but neither of them said anything. ¡°Hi, um, Prince T¡¯Challa,¡± Pietro said, touching his chest and giving an embarrassed sort of half-bow.

    T¡¯Challa held up a hand. ¡°We don¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Uh, sure. Okay.¡±

    There was an excruciatingly awkward silence for a moment before Shuri returned, hefting an almost-comically large bag over one shoulder. ¡°Where will I be staying?¡± she asked Stark stiffly, completely ignoring the Maximoff¡¯s presence. ¡°There are a few things I want to drop off in my room.¡±

    Stark nodded and held up a hand to catch the attention of his man, Happy, who came hurrying over. He gestured toward the compound¡¯s central building, an asymmetrically-shaped structure with the Avengers¡¯ logo emblazoned on the side. ¡°Happy can show you to your new room¡ªyour quarters. We¡¯ll give you the big, proper tour a little later on. Who¡¯ve we got her between? She¡¯s next to Clint, right?¡±

    Happy nodded. ¡°Yeah, at the end, next to Clint.¡±

    ¡°Careful, he snores,¡± Stark warned Shuri with a bit of forced joviality. ¡°I mean, the walls are soundproofed, but that man really snores.¡±

    T¡¯Challa watched as the stocky man gestured for Shuri to follow him before the two of them headed off toward her new quarters, waiting a few seconds before turning back to Pietro. ¡°She is fine,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Just give her some time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, okay. I might just¡­ um,¡± Pietro said, awkwardly gesturing away from them. ¡°Good to see you again, Prince T¡¯Challa.¡±

    The Wakandan prince exhaled softly through his nose, but gave a small nod. ¡°Likewise. As I said, do not mind Shuri. She is just¡­ nervous about being here.¡±

    Pietro returned his nod, then turned and left as well.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry,¡± Stark said to T¡¯Challa, stepping up beside him. ¡°We¡¯ll look after Shuri. You¡¯re leaving her in good hands.¡±

    T¡¯Challa let out a small chuckle as he turned back to face the other man. ¡°I am not worried about Shuri. She can look after herself.¡± He looked between Stark and Dr Banner. ¡°If there is anything more we can give you that might help with analysing her condition¡­¡±

    Dr Banner shrugged, a slightly awkward expression on his face. ¡°We¡¯ll keep you in the loop, but we still don¡¯t know exactly what we¡¯re dealing with here.¡±

    Next to him, Stark nodded. ¡°This is the best place for her right now. We¡¯ll need time to monitor her so we can pick apart how your Herb thing interacted with the gamma radiation to make her, y¡¯know, Hulk out. Make sure it¡¯s safe. This isn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve seen someone affected by Banner¡¯s blood, but at least this particular case does seem to be pretty stable.¡±

    ¡°You refer to the Abomination.¡± T¡¯Challa¡¯s own expression turned pensive, thinking back to the illusion of Emil Blonsky that Eliza had tricked them with during her attack on the Great Mound.

    ¡°Shuri seems fine, though!¡± Bruce interjected hurriedly. ¡°I think if she was going to mutate like that she would have already. Wanda said a while ago that she saw a ¡®She-Hulk¡¯ in her visions, too, and she did okay¡­ though that was my cousin, not your sister.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± T¡¯Challa said, looking pensive. ¡°I am glad of your decision to not allow Wanda Maximoff to formally join the Avengers. Her brother is one thing, but I am not sure that Shuri could have been convinced to stay if she would have had to see Wanda every day.¡±

    Tony grimaced a little. ¡°Little Miss Magic does still visit pretty frequently. We¡¯re still working together.¡±

    ¡°Even so, the extra level of separation helps.¡±

    T¡¯Challa was actually hoping that the semi-regular contact with Wanda and Pietro would help Shuri to get over the worst of her feelings toward them. Call it exposure therapy, almost. T¡¯Challa himself still did not completely trust the Red Woman¡ªshe had poor judgement, poorer impulse control and far too much raw power at her disposal for that to make her anything but dangerous¡ªbut she seemed to at least be trying to do the right thing.

    Wanda had known the truth about his cousin and warned them of it, but Eliza¡¯s accidental creation had proven that she didn¡¯t know everything. It would also not surprise him if there was still information that Wanda was deliberately concealing from the Avengers, picking and choosing what to share from what she¡¯d supposedly seen to deliberately cast herself in a better light.

    Stark nodded and there was another awkward pause. After a few seconds, he clapped his hands together. ¡°Well, how about we show you around a bit?¡±

    --

    I¡¯d been a little surprised at how big the upstate Avengers compound was, but I honestly had just never really realised how many support staff they had. There were a whole bunch of people working here under the careful eye of Maria Hill¡ªintel officers, sure, but also engineers to service the Quinjets and other bits of equipment that Tony didn¡¯t need to handle personally, a whole call centre and public relations division, and a small contingent of workers who maintained the extensive grounds, among others. They generally remained in the outer structures, with only cleaners and similar staff having reason to enter the main central building where the Avengers were quartered. There were also some areas of the compound still being refurbished¡ªobviously, the Avengers had had to move in here a little earlier than in the original timeline, so it wasn¡¯t a hundred per cent ready.

    The first parking lot off the road leading into the compound was publicly-accessible, next to a security and media centre blocking the entrance to the rest of the grounds, and today it was packed. I didn¡¯t need to worry about parking, of course¡ªit was nearly a two-hour drive from Natasha¡¯s apartment in the city out to the compound, a timesaving I definitely considered portal-worthy. I arrived in the gardens and snuck in from the back of the building, instead. It was a hive of activity, public relations and security staff everywhere, and I wandered for a minute trying to work out where everyone was before I was intercepted.

    ¡°You know,¡± said Happy Hogan, Tony¡¯s head of security and general gofer. He shot me a tight smile, but there was a little bit of resentment in his tone. ¡°You could still just come in through the front door, like a normal person. We¡¯ve got a lot of people in today and it¡¯d make it a lot easier on security.¡±

    ¡°Whatever,¡± I responded, rolling my eyes. ¡°You all know who I am.¡±

    I let him usher me through to where a few of the Avengers were waiting for the start of the press conference. Tony was near the set of double doors leading to the press room proper, talking to Pepper, absorbed in something that she was showing him on a tablet. Once I was inside, Happy shot me a look and hurried over to his boss, leaving me to my own devices.

    On the other side of the room, Clint and Bucky stood talking quietly to Natasha. Nat perked up a little when she saw me, so I headed over to them, nudging her with my shoulder as I arrived. ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡± She grinned and nudged me back.

    ¡°Clint! Bucky!¡± I beamed at the two men, taking in their new matching cybernetic arms, banded silver-black vibranium inlaid with intricate, geometric-patterned golden accents. I knew that Shuri was staying at the compound for a little while¡ªwhat a surprise that had been to hear! I hadn¡¯t seen her yet, but that was mostly on purpose; Pietro had told me it was pretty awkward already, and I thought it was better to give the teen a wide berth for now. At least until she¡¯d had time to settle in properly. ¡°Looking sharp! You know you two have to be best friends now, yeah? That¡¯s how this works, right?¡± I said, gesturing between the two of them.

    Bucky shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, and Clint chuckled. ¡°Good to see you, too, Wanda.¡±

    I paused, my own expression faltering a little. ¡°How¡¯re you doing with¡­ everything?¡± I asked sympathetically.

    He shrugged, raising his metal arm and flexing the fingers. ¡°It¡¯s weird. It¡¯ll take some getting used to, but it¡¯s not as hard as I thought it¡¯d be.¡±

    I scrunched up my face, tilting my head a little as I glanced between his arm and Bucky¡¯s. ¡°Is it crass to say that I¡¯m sort of glad that it wasn¡¯t your left arm? I mean, it¡¯d probably be easier if you had interchangeable parts, but I do like that the two of you have sort of a mirror thing going on, now,¡± I said.

    Natasha elbowed me, but Clint let out a small snort of amusement. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m left-handed; it would have been even more of a pain to lose the other one.¡±

    Bucky straightened up, looking past me and lifting his chin in a small gesture. ¡°Man of the hour¡¯s here,¡± he said.

    I spun around to see Pietro and Steve coming down a set of stairs toward us. My brother was wearing what could only be his new ¡®official¡¯ Avengers outfit; a cross between a superhero costume and high-performance athletics gear¡ªgrey, silver and dark blue stretch fabric that flatteringly hugged and outlined his figure, with a stylised lightning bolt slashing across the chest from shoulder to hip and small armoured accents.

    I wondered if he was a little uncomfortable being the only one ¡®in uniform¡¯, so to speak, but I understood why they¡¯d done it like this. Everyone else was dressed in fairly plain smart casual attire, which meant that eyes would naturally be drawn to Pietro¡ªthis was his big debut, after all.

    I rushed over and slammed into him, wrapping my arms around him in a tight hug. ¡°Pietro! You look so good!¡±

    He hugged me back, shaking his head and chuckling slightly before extricating himself. ¡°Thanks.¡± I could hear an edge of nerves in his tone.

    Next to us, Steve grinned and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°You ready?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not really,¡± Pietro admitted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stress,¡± I said, looking him over and picking off the tiniest bit of fluff that had gotten stuck to the fabric hugging his collarbone. ¡°You just need to smile and look pretty and say something like ¡®I¡¯m looking forward to being part of the team¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been coaching him,¡± said Steve, nodding. ¡°He¡¯ll do fine.¡±

    Of course, that made sense. Out of everyone here, Steve was the one with the most personal experience at being uncomfortably paraded around like a show pony. There was a burst of hubbub behind me and I turned back toward the doors to the press room¡ªit looked like they¡¯d opened briefly to let Pepper and Happy through, with Tony now beelining toward the three of us.

    We met him halfway. He shot me a tight smile before turning to Pietro with a serious expression, thrusting his thumb in the direction of the press room. ¡°Alright, Happy Feet. There¡¯re about fifty reporters through those doors¡ªreal ones, not bloggers. Let¡¯s go introduce the world to the newest official member of the Avengers.¡±

    Pietro nodded and we continued forward, Nat, Bucky and Clint moving to link up with us. Bruce had appeared from somewhere as well, the full team now assembled and ready to head out.

    A woman wearing a headset and holding a clipboard tight against her chest was standing next to the doors as we approached¡ªshe muttered something into her mic, then her face lit up in a welcoming smile as we arrived. ¡°Ms Potts is speaking now; we¡¯ll send you in in a moment.¡± She glanced in my direction, singling me out. ¡°Ms Maximoff, you¡¯ll need to hang back. I¡¯ll let you know when you can go in.¡±

    My smile faded a little, but I nodded in acknowledgement. It made sense that I had to wait¡ªI wasn¡¯t an Avenger, I couldn¡¯t walk in as part of the group¡ªbut it still stung slightly. I didn¡¯t want to be jealous, but I¡¯d be lying if I didn¡¯t admit that a huge part of me really wanted to be stepping out there right alongside Pietro.

    After a little bit, the woman nodded and gestured for the team to enter. As the Avengers pushed the double doors open and filed through, there was another burst of indistinct hubbub from the crowd; I craned my neck to look past, catching a glimpse of the gathered reporters and camera crews before the doors shut again, leaving me standing alone with the media staffer.

    She shot me a tight smile and held up a finger, tilting her head to the side as she listened to what was happening in the other room through her headset. A half-dozen seconds crawled agonisingly by before she dropped her hand and nodded, gesturing to the door. ¡°Keep to the left, against the wall. Mr Hogan will be there.¡±

    I nodded my thanks, then took a deep breath and pushed through the doors.

 Chapter 69 (Nice.)

    I stared at the New York City streets as they passed outside the window, not really absorbing what I was seeing but still enjoying looking at it. Catching a taxi felt like an almost novel experience, these days. I could just use portals to get around the city, but that would have gone against the whole ¡®slow down, you¡¯re not always in a rush¡¯ mindset I was trying to cultivate. I wasn¡¯t off using them completely, of course¡ªsometimes I was in a hurry, and sometimes the distance involved meant it would be silly not to. I was still mostly using portals to get to and from the upstate Avengers compound, for example; it was almost a two-hour drive each way, so that was something I was absolutely fine with avoiding, but a twenty-minute trip to Hell¡¯s Kitchen to visit Jessica and Matt didn¡¯t feel overly onerous and I didn¡¯t have anything else I needed to do today.

    It turned out that portals were going to be the answer to solving my money problems, too. The specific contract details were still being ironed out, but it was Tony¡ªof all people¡ªwho had actually come through for me there with a proposal. Turns out, getting stuff into orbit was expensive as balls. I could charge what frankly felt like a ludicrous amount of money, per kilogram, and NASA would still be getting a massive bargain. Tony wasn¡¯t completely doing this out of the goodness of his heart, of course. Stark Industries would save me doing any of my own paperwork by acting as a go-between for a cut, and I¡¯d do a few launches for them as well.

    After all was said and done, though, I was looking at maybe a half-days¡¯ worth of work to earn what would likely be two or three hundred thousand dollars¡ªfree and clear, after taking tax into account¡ªa couple of times a year. Now, that was what I called thinking with portals! Stark Industries had even given me an advance, without the contract formally in place yet, which I felt was pretty generous, so that I could afford to actually, you know, live.

    Tony¡¯s lawyers were drafting up some pretty spicy NDAs for all involved that kept my methods a relative secret¡ªturns out, we could do all of this pretty legally while skirting a bunch of the usual rules around rocket launches since ¡®magic portals to space¡¯ were apparently an edge case that wasn¡¯t really covered by any specific US legislation or regulatory body. I was honestly a little bit surprised that no sorcerer had ever tried to do something like this, but I wasn¡¯t about to complain. Part of me wondered if the whole thing had been entirely Tony¡¯s idea in the first place, or if Nat or Steve had ¡®encouraged¡¯ him. Then again, I also got a sneaking suspicion that he might have approached Kamar-taj first and they¡¯d said no.

    Either way, just like that, I was basically rich. It was enough to make me feel a bit guilty for freeloading off Nat, but it had only been a week and a half. I¡¯d find my own place eventually but, in the meantime, I was actually really enjoying living with Yelena. She was a bit of a pain sometimes and an absolute slob, but we had fun. Maybe I¡¯d suggest we find a place together and stay as flatmates? I knew from past experience that¡ªeven though I was naturally a bit introverted¡ªI tended to go a bit weird if I lived alone for any significant length of time. I needed people around me to keep my head grounded.

    Ava Starr¡ªGhost¡ªwas still at large. I got the distinct impression that Pym and Lang were covering for her, but the Avengers were at least nice enough to pretend like that wasn¡¯t the case. Most of them seemed pretty sympathetic to her situation¡­ between Nat, Bucky, Bruce and Clint, a lot of them had had similarly chequered pasts and were prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt. She was finally on track to get a cure for her condition and had no reason to do anything that might jeopardise that, after all. Pushing to go after her, putting her on the run, would only make things worse.

    I had made myself available for the discussion with Wakanda about Ava, in case I could think of details that might be relevant, but it had proven unnecessary. Between Natasha and Steve, it was pretty much a masterclass in diplomacy. They never lied, or even particularly stretched the truth, but they managed to make Ava sound so sympathetic even I was surprised. She was a victim. Orphaned as a child by SHIELD, then captured and raised to be an assassin¡ªsomething that Nat, in particular, heavily empathised with. She was in constant pain, knowing that her condition would eventually kill her. She was vulnerable and Eliza manipulated her. Wakanda weren¡¯t entirely convinced, but had eventually agreed to leave her to the Avengers for now and not have their War Dogs actively hunt her down, which was a better outcome than I¡¯d expected.

    The taxi pulled over and I paid him before stepping out onto the sidewalk, looking around. Annoyingly, Jessica didn¡¯t have any street signage and I¡¯d never been to her home office before, so it took me a minute to find the right building and catch the elevator up. At the other end of the hallway, opposite the elevator, was Jessica¡¯s office/apartment¡ªblack lettering stencilled on the opaque glass window set into the door spelling out the name of her PI business: ALIAS INVESTIGATIONS.

    When I rapped my knuckles on the door, Malcolm¡ªJessica¡¯s friend and sort-of employee¡ªanswered it and ushered me quickly inside. I¡¯d called ahead and made an official appointment, so Jess was expecting me, already sitting down at her desk, sipping from a can of energy drink. Mal sat me down in the chair across from her before moving back toward the door, hovering a little awkwardly in the background.

    ¡°Hey, Jessica,¡± I said warmly.

    Jessica Jones looked overtired and a little like she hadn¡¯t showered, as usual¡ªher long, black hair a bit greasy and unkempt¡ªbut, if anything, her slightly dishevelled appearance somehow made her even hotter. I was pretty sure she was fully straight but, once I¡¯d finally managed to beat down her defensive fa?ade, I was still kind of hoping against hope that maybe she¡¯d be interested in a fling sometime.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked, folding her arms and staring at me impassively.

    ¡°I don¡¯t ¡®want¡¯ anything, really,¡± I said, smiling lightly at her usual surliness as my eyes wandering around her disorganised mess of an office. I noted the repairs that had been made to the wall dividing the living-area-turned-office and kitchen, the plasterboard still unpainted. ¡°I just thought I¡¯d check in on you¡ªsee how you were doing, whether you¡¯d made any progress with the IGH investigation, that sort of thing¡ªand thought it¡¯d be easier to get hold of you like this than to ask to catch up over coffee.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re wasting my time.¡± Jessica exhaled sharply and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before: We¡¯re not friends, Wanda.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    She squinted at me incredulously. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± I repeated with a shrug. ¡°We could be. I¡¯m pretty useful to have around, as far as friends go.¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to be,¡± she said firmly, placing both of her palms on the desk in front of her. ¡°Look, if that¡¯s all you¡¯re here for, I have other places to be.¡±

    Ugh, this was always so frustrating. I let out a sigh. ¡°I know being a prickly, stand-offish asshole that doesn¡¯t make friends easily is just who you are, but even so¡­ I¡¯ve helped you. I¡¯ve been honest with you, which is something I know you appreciate. You backed me up when we spoke to Matt Murdock. What¡¯s the deal? What am I doing wrong, here?¡± Annoyance had started to leak into my tone, but I stopped myself short of outright asking the question I wanted the actual answer to¡ª¡®why don¡¯t you want to like me?¡¯.

    Jessica¡¯s jaw worked silently as she glared at me. After a moment, she shook her head. ¡°Fine. You¡¯re right, you have been honest with me. So I¡¯ll be honest with you.¡± She paused, steadying herself with a breath as she looked down at the table, avoiding eye contact, as if she didn¡¯t even want to look at me. ¡°Your powers are fucked up. I don¡¯t like being around you because they make me uncomfortable.¡±

    I rocked back in my seat slightly, a look of realisation passing across my features. ¡°Oh,¡± I said simply, processing her words.

    Of course. I was a fucking moron. The last mind controller she¡¯d met had enslaved her. She¡¯d endured months of what was effectively physical and psychological torture and sexual abuse. Killgrave was dead, at her hand, but that didn¡¯t magically resolve all of the trauma and complex PTSD she had. Of course Jessica Jones, of all people, would be uncomfortable around someone with mind control powers.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That hadn¡¯t even occurred to me,¡± I said slowly, feeling like a piece of shit. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve been really thoughtless, haven¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said brusquely, but she didn¡¯t look up and was fidgeting slightly with her hands. She looked really uncomfortable. I¡¯d seen her like this with me before, but it just hadn¡¯t registered until now what I was actually seeing¡ªI¡¯d thought it was just her being standoffish, utterly blind to her very real discomfort.

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡±

    I¡¯d never used actual mind control to override her will, but I¡¯d still constantly bulled over all her objections and done what I¡¯d wanted to do, regardless of her wishes, in basically all of our previous interactions. That had to be triggering. God. She wasn¡¯t being an asshole¡ªI was. No fucking wonder she didn¡¯t like me.

    I stood up abruptly, the legs of the chair scraping loudly against the wooden floorboards. ¡°I¡¯ll just¡­ I¡¯ll go,¡± I said, hesitating for a bare moment. My cheeks had grown hot, burning with shame and guilt, my vision blurring a little. ¡°If you need help with anything; if there¡¯s something I can do, just ask. Anything you need. Anytime. You¡¯ve got my number. Otherwise, I¡¯ll just¡­ I¡¯ll leave you be. I¡¯m sorry, Jessica, I really didn¡¯t mean to.¡±

    I turned and fled, barrelling past Malcolm and hurrying out the door, down the hall, and hammered at the button to call the elevator. After it failed to materialise in two seconds, I shook my head, feeling a little wetness starting to run down my cheeks, and thrust my hand into my pocket, fishing out my sling ring instead. The elevator dinged as it arrived, but I¡¯d already spun up a portal and returned to the street below.

    I leant back against the cool brickwork of the building¡¯s exterior as I dismissed the gateway, ignoring the reactions of the few pedestrians that had seen me appear. Closing my eyes for a minute, I focused on my breathing, forcing myself to calm down and push through the familiar feeling that I was a shitty, worthless excuse of a person. Fucking hell. I should have realised. I¡¯d thought I was better at reading people than that. I¡¯d never meant to make her uncomfortable. I was such an idiot. Even my attraction to her felt gross, now, with that context. I wiped at my face with the back of my hand.

    Okay, so, never seeing Jessica again, I guess. Cool. And here I¡¯d thought I was done burning bridges with people I liked. God, I was going to be seeing Peter again soon, too, and I had no idea what was going to happen there. Maybe he hated me. He had every right to blame me for what had happened.

    I¡¯d vaguely been thinking about maybe wandering up to Harlem and trying to track down Luke Cage once I was done catching up with Matt but, after what had just happened with Jessica, I was suddenly feeling a lot less social. If Matt¡¯s office wasn¡¯t so close by, I probably would have just portalled straight home and hid in bed for the rest of the day.

    Instead, I steeled myself and took out my phone, bringing up the Maps app to remind myself how to get to Nelson and Murdock from here. It wasn¡¯t too far¡ªJessica and Matt worked within fairly easy walking distance of each other. Straightening up, I started down the sidewalk.

    I walked in a bit of a daze, trying not to think too much about what had just happened with Jessica, and fifteen minutes later I stepped past a familiar bronze plaque to a wrought-iron mesh door covered in peeling beige paint. Moving inside and up the stairs, I found the door labelled NELSON AND MURDOCK, ATTORNEYS AT LAW and headed in. The waiting room was basically the same as it had been the last time I was here¡ªhaphazard, mismatched folding chairs and a flimsy card table tucked into a corner with some magazines and a lamp on it.

    Across from the door, the office manager, Karen, was already standing up from her desk to greet me, a tight smile on her face. ¡°Hi! Wanda Maximoff, right?¡±

    I made a small noise of approval, despite myself. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you remember me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s just say you made an impression. Matt¡¯s here, but he¡¯s busy going over some casework.¡±

    ¡°Can you let him know I¡¯m here? He¡¯ll make time for me; I won¡¯t bother him long,¡± I said, going through the motions for Karen¡¯s benefit¡ªeven absorbed in his work, there was no way that Matt hadn¡¯t heard me come in or speak just now.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he will,¡± she said, sizing me up for a moment before she went over to his office door.

    I frowned to myself. Her body language was a bit guarded¡ªshe didn¡¯t like me, either. Of course. I mean, I¡¯d made basically no effort to talk to her or put her at ease, but still. I was a mysterious unknown, sweeping in here to have private talks with Matt about something she wasn¡¯t privy to. Hell, she might have even seen me on the news by now. I didn¡¯t like to think of myself as being bad at dealing with people, but after what had just happened with Jessica, seeing Karen also a little visibly uncomfortable with my presence was really just making me want to crawl into a hole and never come out again.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Karen rapped on Matt¡¯s door smartly with her knuckles, waited a second, then opened the door and poked her head in to tell him I¡¯d arrived. After a moment, she took a step back and held the door open for me. ¡°You can go right in.¡± She tilted her head toward the open door, still looking at me appraisingly.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I shot her another smile and stepped inside, making sure the door closed behind me and she returned to her desk before turning toward Matt.

    He¡¯d stood up as I¡¯d entered, head vaguely pointed in my direction. ¡°Ms Maximoff. Good to see you again.¡±

    ¡°Little blind person joke?¡±

    ¡°Have to take the humour where you can, in my line of work. Please, sit,¡± he said, smiling and gesturing to the chair across from him. I sat. Matt did the same. I took a deep breath, sighed, but didn¡¯t say anything at first. After a few moments, he shifted position, leaning forward. ¡°What happened? With the Hand?¡± he asked quietly.

    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s complicated and a lot of it you don¡¯t need to know. Their leadership¡¯s gone entirely¡ªI guess some of the lieutenants might try to hold stuff together, but they¡¯ve lost basically everyone that really matters. The rest will probably either dissolve or fall to infighting¡­ or the Chaste will clean them up, I guess.¡±

    ¡°I thought you said we had time.¡±

    ¡°We did. Something else happened that meant the Hand moved up my schedule, is all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m assuming this ¡®something else¡¯ has to do with the terrorist attack in San Francisco.¡±

    ¡°Is that what they¡¯re calling it? Yeah. Like I said, I can¡¯t really get into the details.¡± I bit my lip, eyes firmly glued to Matt¡¯s desk. ¡°I¡¯m going to go ahead and assume you completely ignored my warnings and got involved with Elektra anyway.¡±

    The corner of Matt¡¯s mouth twitched and he licked his lips before letting out a small, awkward chuckle. ¡°I don¡¯t know what would make you think that.¡±

    A small smile briefly touched my face but I banished it, my expression turning serious again. ¡°Don¡¯t fuck things up with Karen, okay? Especially not for Elektra.¡±

    He paused, processing that for a moment, before he responded. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still working the Frank Castle case, right?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re on the docket for next week.¡±

    I nodded slowly. ¡°Okay. Well, hopefully this will help you focus on that, then.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching Midland Circle; Stark Industries has equipment and drones on site. Iron Legion, same make as the ones that were attacking the Avengers in San Francisco.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about Midland Circle anymore. Like I said, the Hand¡¯s done. Their plans for what¡¯s underneath it don¡¯t matter anymore.¡±

    ¡°And what are your plans for it?¡± The question pulled me up short and I glanced up at Matt, surprised. He wasn¡¯t looking in my direction, his head tilted, staring vacantly off to one side, but he seemed like he was focusing very intently.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any,¡± I said honestly. I hadn¡¯t really thought about Midland Circle much at all since Eliza had been created. I¡¯d need to ask about what the investigation into what the AI had been using Stark Industries for had uncovered. ¡°Stark Industries will try to acquire it, probably, and I guess once it¡¯s unearthed we¡¯ll study it. See if there¡¯s some beneficial purpose it can be used for.¡± The most likely scenario I could think of was the Avengers handing the dragon bones over to Kamar?taj¡ªthey seemed best placed to deal with something like that.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Matt seemed mostly satisfied with that answer.

    ¡°So¡­ yeah. That¡¯s about it. I just wanted to drop in and let you know that you shouldn¡¯t really have any more problems with the Hand from now on. If you do see Stick again, tell him ¡®You¡¯re welcome¡¯ from the Avengers.¡±

    There was another moment of silence, then Matt turned to face me properly¡ªhis unseeing eyes, hidden behind red-lensed sunglasses, seeming to look right through me. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, his tone gentle.

    I suddenly felt very small. ¡°No, not really,¡± I said. It was pointless to try lying to Daredevil.

    ¡°Anything I can help with?¡±

    ¡°Maybe; got any advice on how to be a less shit person?¡±

    He let out a soft snort of amusement. ¡°I think I¡¯m the wrong person to ask for that sort of advice. What happened?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± I ran my tongue along my lips to moisten them, then sighed. ¡°I mean, something, but it¡¯s nothing anyone can do anything about. I¡¯ve had a lot of ups and downs lately and things are just¡­ hitting me a bit harder than they should, I think.¡±

    He looked at me thoughtfully for a moment. ¡°Okay, well,¡± he said, rising to his feet, a small sympathetic smile lighting his face. ¡°Come on. There¡¯s a bar just down the street that I like. I¡¯ll buy you a drink.¡±

    I blinked, surprised. ¡°It¡¯s barely noon.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem like the sort of person that that¡¯s ever stopped before.¡±

    ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± He had me there. ¡°¡­Okay.¡±

    --

    ¡°You¡¯re famous now,¡± Matt said, idly fingering his glass. ¡°After what happened in San Francisco, I mean. Helping the Avengers. Karen recognised you on the news.¡±

    We were sitting in a booth at Josie¡¯s Bar, the Nelson and Murdock staff¡¯s favoured haunt. More light filtered in from the clouded, dirty windows and glass door than was cast by the dim lamp over the battered-looking wooden bar and the few scattered flickering neon signs¡ªthe place would be pretty poorly-lit at night, which would probably help to conceal just how worn the place was. Actual daylight did the place no favours. It smelt of stale beer, cheap liquor, and something faintly metallic, like rust. On the face of it, it wasn¡¯t the most inviting place, but still¡­ I could see it had its own sort of unpolished charm. We almost had the place entirely to ourselves, with only one older man sitting quietly at the far end of the bar, nursing a drink. I was honestly a little surprised that the place was even open this early.

    ¡°Of course she did,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°Sorry if that makes meeting with me a bit more awkward.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡± Matt leaned his elbow on the table, ear tilted toward me. ¡°Your brother joined the Avengers. There¡¯s a lot of gossip and speculation as to why you didn¡¯t join as well. Any particular reason he¡¯s on the team and you¡¯re not?¡±

    I didn¡¯t really want to talk about this. I was already in a bit of a mood because of what happened to Jessica, I didn¡¯t need to be reminded of my other failures as well. ¡°Politics, mostly. We¡¯re still working together.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not happy about that.¡± It was a statement, not a question.

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I admitted. ¡°I want to be on the team. It¡¯s just¡­ complicated. It was my decision to step back a bit and not join, though.¡±

    ¡°You wanted to distance yourself, for some reason?¡±

    ¡°Politics,¡± I said again. Matt seemed to sense that I didn¡¯t want to talk about it and didn¡¯t press the issue again. After a few moments of companionable silence, I drained the rest of my glass. ¡°Would you want to see again?¡± I asked, placing my empty whiskey tumbler down on the table between us and looking at Matt seriously.

    He let out a small, incredulous laugh, as though he couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d just asked that. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°If your eyes could be healed. A miracle cure for blindness. Or if you could, for example, speaking purely theoretically, get cybernetic prosthetic eyes. From space. Would you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never really thought about it.¡± He seemed amused by the examples. ¡°It would depend, I guess.¡±

    I waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Cybernetic prosthetics. You¡¯d need to have the old ones completely removed, I think, but then you could just literally pop them in and they¡¯d work. Plug and play, so to speak.¡±

    ¡°¡­I feel like you might not be talking from an entirely theoretical place, here.¡±

    ¡°I might not be.¡±

    ¡°If it were safe¡ª¡±

    I cut him off. ¡°Safe. Free. No complications. Shouldn¡¯t affect your other enhanced senses. Just your vision back. Would you do it?¡±

    Matt hesitated for a few moments. ¡°¡­Are you offering?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really squirming around answering the question, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been blind since I was nine. Would I choose to be able to see again, if I could? Yes. Of course.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Okay. I can¡¯t make any promises, but I know some people. I¡¯ll look into it for you.¡± Next time I spoke to Carol, I¡¯d ask her about it. If she didn¡¯t know where to get some space-tech cybernetic eyes, she¡¯d probably know someone who did. If not, maybe the Guardians of the Galaxy would. I knew Rocket got his hands on one at some point.

    Matt went quiet again for a bit, his jaw working silently. After a little while, he took a deep breath. ¡°That¡­ seems like a lot to do for someone you barely know.¡±

    ¡°I actually know you better than you might think, Matt. And you¡¯re nice to me. Feels like I¡¯ve had to fight pretty hard to get that from most other people in my life.¡± I chuckled, running a finger along the rim of my empty glass and shooting him a mischievous look. ¡°You know, if you weren''t already with Karen, I''d let you take me home right now and have your wicked way with me.¡±

    He let out an amused snort. ¡°Because I¡¯m nice to you?¡±

    ¡°Not just because you¡¯re nice. You¡¯re also pretty cute. It honestly doesn¡¯t take much more than that, for me.¡± And maybe it would have helped take my mind off how shitty I felt about what had happened with Jessica.

    Matt laughed again and shook his head. ¡°Maybe day drinking wasn¡¯t such a good idea.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it. You¡¯ve got enhanced senses; use them. Listen to my body, the way I¡¯m talking. Do I seem tipsy at all? Alcohol just doesn¡¯t do that much for me, these days. Downside of my powers.¡± I paused, playing back the last minute of conversation in my head for a moment before I heaved a sigh. ¡°Sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have even said it. Inappropriate.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to apologise for,¡± he said with a small shake of his head. ¡°Who knows? If I wasn¡¯t seeing Karen, maybe I¡¯d even have taken you up on it.¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t know when to turn it off, sometimes,¡± I confessed, looking down at the table. I picked my glass up by the rim, my fingers splayed, balancing it on the edge of the base and rolling it slowly back and forth across the wooden surface. ¡°I didn¡¯t always look the way I do now. It¡¯s like¡­ there¡¯s this thing, where someone who¡¯s experienced poverty¡ªwho been through times when they were just never sure when the next meal would come¡ªwill overeat when they get the opportunity to. Just pack it in. Because they¡¯re conditioned to feel like they might starve again soon, even if that isn¡¯t likely to happen. I think it¡¯s kind of like that.¡± I let out an incredulous little laugh. ¡°Wow. God, that actually makes me sound really pathetic and desperate when I say it out loud like that, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Matt responded, his expression thoughtful. ¡°I think it just makes you sound human.¡±

    --

    ¡°We¡­ we didn¡¯t know what to do. Who else to go to,¡± Brian said, his voice a little unsteady. He stood near the punching bags, his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets, his eyes darting nervously to the nearby weapons rack. The evening light spilling through the dojo¡¯s sliding windows gave the room a golden glow¡ªnormally, Colleen would find it comforting and peaceful, but after getting the news she just had, it felt almost stifling.

    She didn¡¯t respond right away.

    Instead, she turned and walked toward the back room, flicking her head to indicate that Mary and Brian¡ªher two former students that had come calling¡ªshould follow her. They hesitated a moment, but did so. The small space felt even tighter with all three of them inside. Colleen knelt down in front of an old trunk, unlocked it, then took out her grandfather¡¯s katana. Closing the lid, she rested the weapon on top, staring at it for a moment as she knelt, her back to her two visitors as she steadied herself. She could hear Mary shifting behind her, the soft scrape of her shoes on the floor, and Brian¡¯s low, nervous sigh.

    ¡°Who was it?¡± Colleen asked softly after a few moments of relative silence, her fingers tracing along the saya¡ªthe sheathe¡ªof the sword, lingering on the white bindings wrapping the hilt. ¡°Gao¡¯s faction?¡± Madame Gao was a criminal. A monster. If her disagreements with Bakuto had finally escalated to the point where she¡¯d wanted him removed, then Colleen would¡ª

    ¡°Gao¡¯s dead, too.¡±

    Her head snapped up in surprise and she turned to look at them. That had been far from the answer she¡¯d been expecting. ¡°What? How?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re all dead,¡± Brian said hurriedly, almost tripping over his words. He looked scared. ¡°All of the Fingers. Colleen, there is no Hand. Not anymore. It¡¯s all gone.¡±

    He might as well have punched her in the stomach. It seemed¡­ impossible. Unbelievable. How could something so good just be gone? For all of the faults of Gao¡¯s faction, it wasn¡¯t just Bakuto¡¯s work with troubled youths that was in jeopardy. What would happen to the charities that Alexandra Reid¡¯s foundation managed? The White Hat¡¯s outreach programs in Africa? If the Hand was truly gone, there were so many people that were going to suffer who would otherwise have found help and support. Like she had.

    Mary and Brian exchanged a nervous look. ¡°It was San Francisco, near as we can tell,¡± Mary said. ¡°That big ¡®terrorist attack¡¯ where they¡¯re saying the Avengers fought some evil robots. The Fingers were caught up in it, somehow. We don¡¯t know the details¡­ who was fighting who.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know anything?¡± Whatever had happened in San Francisco hadn¡¯t been just a terrorist attack, Colleen was certain of it. If the Avengers were involved, whatever had happened had to have been serious, but the government and warmongers like Tony Stark had a vested interest in hiding their dirty laundry. They certainly didn¡¯t care about the little people that got caught in the crossfire.

    ¡°We have a name. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°What name?¡±

    ¡°Wanda Maximoff,¡± Mary said, her tone deadly quiet, a small twitch of her lip giving away her feelings. She might as well have spat.

    There was something about that name¡­ ¡°Why is that familiar?¡±

    ¡°You probably saw her in the news. She was there, in San Francisco,¡± said Brian. ¡°She¡¯s been working with the Avengers. Her brother¡¯s the newest member.¡±

    Of course. Colleen didn¡¯t really keep up with celebrity stuff, but a new Avenger joining the team was big, splashy news that had everyone talking about it. Pietro Maximoff¡­ Quicksilver. She didn¡¯t know much about him, and even less about his sister. Only that she was Enhanced, somehow. Powerful. Dangerous.

    Colleen stood up, turning to face her two former students properly. ¡°Thank you. This¡­ thank you for coming. Leave this with me.¡±

    Brian shook his head and took a deep breath, steeling himself. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this alone, Colleen. We¡¯re with you,¡± he said.

    Next to him, Mary¡¯s hands had tightened into fists. ¡°We¡¯re all with you.¡±

    Colleen felt her heart swell, eyes misting up again, and she smiled. Raising her arms, she ushered the two of them into an embrace, squeezing them tightly. ¡°Thank you. I know you¡¯re upset, but this is going to be dangerous. You¡¯ve still got your whole lives ahead of you.¡± She pulled back, hands lingering on their shoulders, and looked at them seriously. ¡°Take care of the younger ones. Bakuto dedicated his life to helping other people get theirs back on track; you need to honour that legacy. Carry it forward. Promise me, okay?¡±

    Reluctantly, the two of them nodded. Mary¡¯s face was twisted into a determined scowl, but Brian looked like he was almost on the verge of tears again. Colleen gave their shoulders a final squeeze before letting go.

    ¡°Go,¡± she said. ¡°Keep me in the loop. Let me know if there¡¯s anything else I can help with.¡±

    Brian reaching over and gently touched Mary on the arm. ¡°Okay,¡± Mary said, nodding again. She exchanged a final look with Brian, then the two of them quietly filtered out.

    Once they were gone, Colleen picked up her grandfather¡¯s katana, feeling the weight of it, holding the saya tightly as her mind raced. The tenets of bushido demanded that she only carry her blade if she was willing to draw it, and to only draw it if she was willing to use it. To use it meant to cut¡­ and to cut meant to kill.

    Bakuto had given her everything. She¡¯d learned so much from him. He¡¯d treated her almost like a daughter. She wouldn¡¯t have had Chikara Dojo if it wasn¡¯t for him. The training, safety and opportunities she¡¯d helped give to youth who¡¯d needed it¡ªnone of it would have happened without him. Bakuto had done so much, helped so many people, touched so many lives¡­ and now he was dead. Murdered. Everything he¡¯d built was collapsing and all the people he would have carried out of poverty, out of despair, would now no longer get that chance.

    Her grip tightened. She needed answers. Whoever had done this¡ªwhoever was responsible¡ªshe would find them and make them pay. She needed to find Wanda Maximoff.

 Chapter 70

    I frowned to myself as the unwelcome sound of an alarm penetrated the hazy half-sleep I was basking in¡ªquiet rather than harsh, but steady and insistent. Natasha shifted in my embrace, awkwardly reaching over to her phone to swipe the alarm off before gently trying to disentangle herself from me. I made a sleepy noise of protest and resisted, easily overpowering her attempt to wiggle free.

    ¡°Wanda¡­¡±

    I ignored the objection and, to put a stop to any further¡ªextremely rude!¡ªattempts to escape, I rolled on top of her, pinning her to the bed with the weight of my body, pressing my curves against hers.

    ¡°Wanda,¡± she repeated patiently, a smile in her voice. ¡°We have to get up.¡±

    I murmured an indistinct disagreement, burying my face in the crook of her neck for a moment and inhaling deeply, enjoying the heady girlsmell, before planting several feather-light kisses along her jawline. ¡°You started setting your alarms, like, half an hour earlier than necessary,¡± I murmured. With no small amount of effort, I lifted my head from her neck, propping myself up on an elbow so I could look at her, a lascivious smile curving my mouth. My free hand started to idly trace a path from the centre of her chest down to her stomach, fingertips gently dragging across soft, supple skin. ¡°You thought I wouldn¡¯t notice but I did. So now, when your alarm goes off, that means I get to have you for half an hour before we have to get up.¡±

    Natasha laughed, then a small, involuntary gasp escaped her lips as my hand crept lower. ¡°That was¡­ not what my intention was.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the best of both worlds¡ªmorning cuddles and fun and we still get to be on time.¡±

    ¡°¡­You make a compelling argument.¡±

    Nearly half an hour later, flushed and satisfied, I wandered out of the bedroom wrapped in an olive-green satin robe I¡¯d stolen from Natasha and headed down the short hallway toward the kitchen while she went for a shower. Yelena was standing at the kitchen bench and I stepped a bit closer as I saw what she was doing, my brow furrowing at the minor travesty unfolding before me.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, a slightly pained tone in my voice.

    Yelena glanced up at me, a little puzzled. ¡°Making toast?¡± she ventured, and I pointed wordlessly to the jar of Vegemite she was committing crimes against. ¡°Oh. Sorry. I haven¡¯t had it in ages, I thought you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t care that you¡¯re using my Vegemite, it¡¯s just¡­ that¡¯s your spread?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    I gestured to the bare suggestion of black, salty goodness that she had scraped across the toast, as if a yeasty ghost had breathed very gently on it. ¡°That¡¯s a fucking weak spread.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Yelena blinked, looking a little offended as she glanced back down at her breakfast. ¡°I don¡¯t like too much Vegemite on my toast,¡± she said defensively.

    ¡°What are you, American? Thicken your spread, Yelena.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Thicken your spread!¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    I set my jaw and scowled at her. ¡°Do you want to see how a pro spreads Vegemite?¡±

    Yelena closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, obviously embarrassed and ashamed at how weak her spread was. ¡°No,¡± she said again.

    ¡°Did I hear a yes?¡± She needed to be educated. I could help her.

    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± I cracked my knuckles and grabbed some bread, dropping it into the toaster. ¡°Watch and learn.¡±

    Yelena made a small noise of frustration in the back of her throat. While my bread toasted, she finished what she was doing and retreated a few steps to the small, square dining table behind us, leaving the butter and jar of Vegemite on the bench for me as I retrieved a plate. She started eating, studiously ignoring me as I waited for the toaster to pop. Once it did, I half turned to address her as I worked.

    ¡°Alright, so you want freshly toasted bread and a fuckload of ¡®mite.¡±

    ¡°¡®Mite¡¯?¡± Yelena asked, distastefully.

    ¡°Pros call it ¡®mite.¡±

    ¡°No one calls it ¡®mite.¡±

    ¡°You gotta spread the ¡®mite thick,¡± I said, ignoring her as I prepared a more traditionally Australian Vegemite on toast.

    She craned her neck a little to see what I was doing, her nose crinkling in disgust. ¡°What are you doing? That is way too much.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you really want to cake it on there,¡± I said absently as I finished making my toast. I took a moment to put things away and wipe the crumbs from the bench before walking over to where Yelena was sitting at the table and putting my plate down next to hers.

    She stared at it for a moment. ¡°Wanda, if I ate that it would make me sick.¡±

    ¡°You know what makes me sick?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow and gesturing to her half-eaten breakfast. ¡°This weak spread!¡± Defiantly, I picked up my toast and took a big bite of it, the salty, yeasty umami flavour filling my mouth.

    I paused. In my enthusiasm to demonstrate proper Vegemite etiquette to Yelena, I might have gone a little overboard. I chewed and swallowed, almost mechanically, processing my way through the overpoweringly thick spread. It was¡­ a bit much, if I was being honest with myself. But that was Yelena¡¯s fault. I¡¯d had no other choice. No time for regrets. I had to power through.

    ¡°What are you two arguing about?¡± Natasha asked, emerging from the hallway. She was already dressed and essentially ready to go.

    ¡°Wanda tried to poison me because I stole her Vegemite,¡± Yelena said lightly.

    I made a noise of protest around a mouthful of too-much Vegemite, swallowing it with a small cough. ¡°Your sister was making a mockery of my culture.¡±

    Yelena¡¯s brow creased in confusion. ¡°Aren¡¯t you Sokovian?¡±

    ¡°My other culture.¡±

    Nat stepped closer to me, looking at my half-eaten toast. She shot me a sceptical look and shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s too much Vegemite.¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± Yelena shot me a smarmy grin, as if Nat¡¯s opinion meant that she¡¯d won.

    I harumphed grumpily and took another petulant bite of my toast.

    ¡°Finish eating and go for a shower,¡± Nat instructed, lightly smacking me on the bottom with an open palm. ¡°They¡¯re expecting us at nine.¡±

    I made a pleased noise and shuffled closer to her, sticking my butt out a little to invite her to do it again.

    ¡°Ugh.¡± Yelena made a sound of disgust. ¡°If you¡¯re going to be like that, please go back to the bedroom. It¡¯s way too early to deal with Wanda being Wanda.¡±

    Swallowing my mouthful of food, I shook my head. ¡°You heard her,¡± I said sadly, as though we had no other choice. ¡°We have to go back to the bedroom.¡±

    ¡°We really can¡¯t be late.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know,¡± I said, as if she were the one being difficult. ¡°Gimme a minute.¡±

    I finished eating, then showered and got dressed while Natasha and Yelena chatted for a little bit. Once I was ready to leave, it was getting pretty close to nine; we were basically exactly on time. Nat and I said our goodbyes to Yelena, then I took out my sling ring and spun up a portal to a familiar hallway. The two of us stepped through and I dismissed the magic, hesitating slightly as I looked around. There was a tiny bit of anxiety gnawing at my stomach¡ªI wasn¡¯t sure what sort of reception I was going to get, given what had happened the last time I was here.

    I¡¯d been putting off seeing Peter Parker. When we¡¯d gotten back from Wakanda, we were advised through the Stark Relief Foundation that he¡¯d been discharged and was recovering fine¡ªsuperhumanly quickly, even¡ªbut talking to him directly had just seemed¡­ daunting. There was a part of me that was terrified that Peter might blame me for what had happened. He wouldn¡¯t even be wrong to. And I just didn¡¯t want to face that. Instead, I¡¯d spoken to the Avengers about him. Once it had been decided that they were interested in reaching out, Natasha had called and discussed it with May. I¡¯d honestly been a little surprised when the offer had been made to let me tag along for this, but it was probably Natasha¡¯s doing; she knew how I felt about the whole situation and how much I wanted to help Peter.

    Nat moved to the door of the apartment in front of us and knocked. After a few moments it opened and Peter¡¯s aunt, May, was there, greeting us with a warm smile. ¡°Hi! Ms Romanoff? And Wanda.¡± It might have just been my imagination, but I felt like May¡¯s smile turned a bit stiffer when she looked at me. My heart sank a little. I could hardly blame her, of course¡ªI¡¯d lied to her face the first time we¡¯d met and pretty much immediately brought HYDRA crashing down on her and her family.

    Nat lightly shook May¡¯s hand, a warm smile on her face. ¡°Please, Natasha is fine. Thanks so much for agreeing to this; we really appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course. It¡¯s been¡­¡± May paused to weighing her words. ¡°The last few weeks have been a lot. Peter¡¯s really looking forward to this.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re all ready to go, would you mind if we stepped inside for a moment?¡± Natasha asked.

    ¡°Sure.¡± May looked briefly surprised, but held the door open, moving out of the way so we could come inside.

    Peter and Ned were both waiting in the living room just beyond the entrance to the apartment¡ªPeter bouncing on his heels near the TV while his best friend sat on the dark grey corduroy couch. As Nat and I walked in, Ned practically leapt to his feet and the two boys hurried over to greet us.

    ¡°Hey Wanda!¡± Peter grinned. He, at least, seemed excited. Maybe this wasn¡¯t going to be so bad, after all. ¡°And uh, Ms Romanoff, it¡¯s really nice meeting you!¡±

    ¡°Hi, uh, Ms Romanoff, Ms Maximoff.¡± Ned bobbed his head, almost vibrating with unconcealed nervous energy.

    Huh. I hadn¡¯t actually heard someone say our surnames that close together before. There was a joke in there, somewhere, with the two -offs. Something about getting off? I needed a little time to think it through, come up with something really snappy I could pretend I¡¯d made up on the spot later. ¡°It¡¯s good to see the two of you again,¡± I said, my lips compressed into a tight smile.

    I glanced around, taking in the small changes to the apartment¡¯s d¨¦cor. Some of the furniture had changed; a couple of May¡¯s large table lamps were either missing or replaced¡ªpresumably the originals had been broken¡ªbut the damage to the walls and flooring had been repaired. I had noticed a large new deadbolt on the front door, but apart from the small changes to the furnishings, very few signs remained of the home invasion that had happened here a few weeks ago.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    I wanted to talk to Peter about what had happened and apologise to him properly, but I really needed to pick my moment. It wasn¡¯t something I wanted to discuss in front of everyone.

    ¡°It¡¯s really nice to finally meet you all,¡± Nat said gently, a warm smile on her face.

    ¡°Everyone ready to go?¡± I asked, getting a small chorus of agreement in response, and I glanced at May. ¡°We¡¯re just going to go straight from here, if you want to lock things up?¡±

    She looked a little puzzled, but nodded and moved back to the front door, securing the deadbolt and ensuring it was all locked up. When she returned, I gave her a small nod of acknowledgement and held up my hands, focusing my magic on spinning up a portal. There were a few small gasps as the energy sparked and spiralled into being, coming together into a gateway with red wisps of chaos magic boiling off the edges. Greenery was visible on the other side.

    Natasha looked around, shooting everyone a reassuring smile, and walked through first. I gestured for everyone else to follow her, leaving myself for last.

    ¡°Woah,¡± Ned breathed quietly once I¡¯d dismissed the portal behind us. ¡°This is so cool.¡±

    We were outside the main, central building at the upstate Avengers compound, standing on the footpath leading to the riverside structures, surrounded by well-manicured hedges and gardens. Steve, Pietro and Sam were waiting for us, all dressed down in casual, everyday wear, and stepped forward to make introductions and shake hands.

    The Avengers lineup was actually getting pretty large. Sam¡ªthe Falcon¡ªhad been on the outskirts for a little while, but had officially moved in within the last few days. In Eliza¡¯s wake, Rhodey had also been made the Avengers¡¯ official, on?site government liaison and was a kind of pseudo-member. On the non-Avenger side, Dr Cho had also apparently just moved her lab from South Korea and was going to be helping out with monitoring Shuri¡¯s condition. I was interested in seeing what Shuri might think of her Regeneration Cradle. There was a lot happening around the place that I was only getting second-hand from Natasha and Pietro. On the one hand, I was really pleased to see the Avengers recruiting and getting solid supports in place but, on the other, it really felt like the universe wanted to rub in my face the fact that literally everyone seemed to be moving in and joining the team but me.

    Our group headed into the building and upstairs to the briefing room in the main common area¡ªit was a good place to do this sort of thing, I thought; straddling the line between casual and professional, showing the warmer, homey side of the team alongside the more formal and serious stuff. Tony and Rhodey were already there waiting for us.

    ¡°Woah, Mr Stark! It¡¯s so awesome to meet you! I¡¯m a really big fan of your work,¡± Peter gushed, stars in his eyes, as they shook hands with him.

    Well, some things never change, I guess. Hopefully, with the way things were happening, he wouldn¡¯t get quite so attached to Tony¡ªI was intending on doing what I could to push him a little bit more toward Steve and Pietro, instead, but I wasn¡¯t sure how well I was going to succeed. I was glad that no one had any issues with me being here for this, even though I wasn¡¯t part of the team, but I knew I probably wasn¡¯t really going be able to be as involved with Peter as I would have liked to be.

    As the Avengers and their guests gathered around the conference table to go over what they envisioned their trainee initiative was going to look like, I hung back, stepping away to sit and listen in from a nearby couch. It was all pretty straightforward. Peter¡¯s anonymity as Spider-Man would remain intact, he could continue operating as he had wanted to¡ªkeep on being a Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man¡ªbut he¡¯d have access to support and training opportunities through the team, mostly on weekends and during school breaks.

    He wouldn¡¯t go on any official missions¡ªat least, not at first, not anytime soon¡ªand after a couple of years, once he¡¯d graduated school, he¡¯d have the opportunity to graduate to a full member of the Avengers. I hadn¡¯t really been expecting Rhodey to be part of the conversation, but it made sense in retrospect that an ¡®official¡¯ government rep would be able to provide some additional reassurances to set May¡¯s mind at ease. Playing the vigilante was still more than a little bit of a legal grey area, but Rhodey wasn¡¯t going to be dobbing him in.

    The team asked for consent to run bloodwork and other tests to check over what had actually happened to give him his powers and make sure there weren¡¯t any deleterious side effects or complications, but it was all purely voluntary and he could say no with no repercussions. There would never be any obligations on Peter¡¯s end. He could withdraw at any point and it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if, at the end, he decided he wanted to do something else and not join the team. Steve made it very clear that the only thing that they wanted was to do whatever was best for Peter.

    While the rest of them spoke, Pietro snuck over to where I was sitting and dropped down onto the couch next to me. ¡°You¡¯ve been avoiding me,¡± he said reproachfully, speaking quietly so as not to distract or be overheard.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been avoiding you. We literally text every day.¡±

    ¡°But you haven¡¯t come by the compound much. Natasha sees you more than I do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve mostly just been doing nothing¡ªjust relaxing, reading, watching TV and stuff¡ªyou¡¯d get bored and I didn¡¯t want to cause any issues with Shuri while she¡¯s settling in. You¡¯ll see me again tomorrow and probably Monday, too, and we¡¯ll probably be spending the entire day together on Tuesday.¡±

    ¡°With Nat.¡±

    ¡°You like hanging out with Nat.¡±

    ¡°¡­I do,¡± he conceding, a little grumpily. ¡°I just¡­ okay. You haven¡¯t been avoiding me. I don¡¯t know. It just feels weird, being here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been an Avenger for less than a week. Give it some time, you¡¯ll adjust.¡± I glanced back at the conference table where the others were still going over a few details, lowering my voice even further. ¡°Peter¡¯s a good kid. I really need you to look out for him, okay? Be the fun uncle.¡±

    Pietro sighed and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him.¡±

    We sat quietly for a few more minutes, listening in to the conversation at the conference table. After a little while, everything had finally been gone over to everyone¡¯s satisfaction, and I watched carefully as May turned to her nephew. ¡°Are you sure this is what you want to do, Peter?¡± she asked, looking at him seriously.

    Peter nodded. With a bit of hesitation in his tone he said, ¡°Yeah, I think so. This is a lot better than me being on my own, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s¡­ I want to be an Avenger.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not all fun and games, being famous,¡± May said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard work.¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡­ I have to do this. When you can do the things that I can, if you don¡¯t, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you.¡±

    ¡°With great power comes great responsibility,¡± I quoted softly to myself, looking down at my hands and flexing my fingers slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t I know it.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything you don¡¯t want to do,¡± May said, her tone firm.

    Peter met her eyes and nodded again, a little more steel in his backbone. ¡°I want to,¡± he said.

    May nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think that¡¯s about it, then. Did you have any other questions?¡± Steve asked, looking between the three people on the other side of the table.

    May and Peter exchanged a look, then shook their heads. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± May started to say, but was interrupted by an extremely nervous Ned.

    ¡°Um! Actually, uh, Mr Rogers? Captain, sir?¡±

    ¡°What is it, son?¡± he asked gently, an easy smile on his face.

    ¡°I uh, I really don¡¯t want to sound ungrateful¡ªbeing here for this is probably the coolest thing that¡¯s ever happened to me. But, um. Obviously, we¡¯re here for Peter, and I get why May is here, but May said that you asked for me as well. Like, specifically. I don¡¯t¡­ um. Why?¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± Steve said, looking over in my direction. He raised his eyebrows and lifted his chin, silently inviting me over. ¡°It was Wanda that insisted you come.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Um.¡± That obviously didn¡¯t really answer the teen¡¯s question and he hesitated, wondering if he should press the issue.

    I stood up, walking over toward the table¡ªPietro in tow¡ªas I glanced toward Steve. ¡°Did you manage to get someone from Kamar-taj?¡± I asked him.

    Next to him, Natasha checked the time on her phone. ¡°They should be here any second, if they¡¯re not already.¡± She stood up and walked over to the window, looking down at the grounds. ¡°Yep. Looks like they sent Master Wong.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± I said, a little surprised. I¡¯d been expecting Mordo, if anyone. I wouldn¡¯t have thought Wong would leave Kamar?taj very often, given his duties as librarian, and he wasn¡¯t really responsible for training new students. Why would the Ancient One have sent him?

    We decamped from the briefing room as a group, heading out to meet the sorcerer as he sat placidly on a bench, watching a brace of ducks that were paddling by on the river. As we drew closer, he stood up and gave a shallow, respectful bow before stepping in to shake Steve¡¯s hand. ¡°Thanks for coming, Master Wong,¡± Steve said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a welcome distraction.¡± Wong looked critically at the two teens, inclining his head in a silent acknowledgement of them, then turned to me. ¡°Which is the boy you spoke of?¡± he asked, a little sharply.

    I faltered for a moment. Maybe I was just feeling a little sensitive at the moment, but his tone wasn¡¯t exactly where I¡¯d have liked it to be. I knew I wasn¡¯t the most popular girl at Kamar-taj, but Wong was¡­ Wong. Wongers. I¡¯d never really thought of myself as someone who needed the approval of others, but the last couple of days were really starting to wear on me, seeing just how many good people really didn¡¯t like me. Jessica, Karen, May, and now Wong¡­ God. I wasn¡¯t sure if knowing that most of them had perfectly valid reasons to feel the way they did made it better or worse.

    Hiding my sudden attack of discomfort by clearing my throat, I looked over at the boys. ¡°Ned?¡±

    ¡°Um, yes?¡±

    Wong stepped closer to him and the rotund boy shrank back, obviously feeling a little intimidated. ¡°Wanda believes you have a great deal of potential for the mystic arts.¡±

    ¡°The¡­ the mystic arts?¡± Ned stammered, a little confused.

    ¡°Magic, Ned,¡± I said, then turned to Wong. ¡°Give him like, a very brief overview, then let him borrow your sling ring and run him through a basic lesson on how to use it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not how teaching sorcery works,¡± Wong objected, a frown creasing his face. He shook his head. ¡°Using a sling ring cannot be taught in a single day. He needs to learn visualisation, how to draw and focus the energies of other dimensions and channel it through his meridians. Weeks of intensive training, at a minimum. Months, more usually. Then, there are the fourteen rules of portal safety that students must learn before they are even allowed to attempt to make a portal.¡±

    ¡°I figured out how to use a sling ring, on my own, in less than half an hour.¡±

    ¡°You are a special case. You already knew how to channel and control magical energies, and your chaos magic bends the rules of reality.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Just do it. Trust me. I bet he figures it out even quicker than I did.¡±

    Wong shot me a suspicious look, but reluctantly nodded his assent. Just before he began, I straightened up, a thought occurring to me, and turned to Peter. ¡°You should give it a go, too,¡± I said, reaching into my pocket and pulling out my own ring. I pressed it into the teen¡¯s hand. ¡°I really don¡¯t think you¡¯ll pick it up the same way Ned will, but still. Worth checking. Actually, now that I¡¯m thinking about it¡­ maybe everyone should try? It can¡¯t hurt?¡± I glanced around the gathered Avengers, who all suddenly had very thoughtful looks on their faces.

    Wong looked at the ring I¡¯d just given Peter disapprovingly. ¡°I thought that had been destroyed in the battle with Eliza,¡± he said, a minor rebuke in his tone.

    ¡°Guess not,¡± I said with another shrug. ¡°Are you good to run everyone through a basic lesson, or¡­?¡±

    ¡°This is highly irregular,¡± he said. ¡°The Sorcerer Supreme determines whether a person is allowed to join Kamar-taj and learn the mystic arts¡ªthat decision is reserved for her and her alone. She bade me to come on your recommendation to examine the potential of a particularly gifted individual. That is all I am supposed to be doing here.¡±

    ¡°Alright, well, you can do that, and we¡¯ll just be over here, with everyone listening in. And taking turns trying to use my sling ring.¡±

    The sorcerer made a frustrated noise of disapproval, halfway between a grunt and a sigh, but turned to Ned and started to run through a high level, basic primer on what magic is and how sorcerers used it.

    Twenty minutes later, the teen was looking dumbfoundedly through a swirling orange circle of sparks to see his bedroom on the other side. No one else, of course, managed to conjure so much as the faintest glimmer of energy.

    ¡°Salamangkero,¡± Ned murmured absently to himself. ¡°Lola always said we had magic in our family.¡±

    Wong looked almost as flummoxed as Ned did. ¡°That is¡­ astounding,¡± he said, looking over at me with disbelief in his eyes. ¡°I''ve never heard of someone picking up the basics so quickly.¡±

    After a few seconds, Ned¡¯s concentration wavered and the portal collapsed, but he was still staring at his own hands like he¡¯d just manifested superpowers. Which I guess he sort of had?

    Wong stepped up to him and gently retrieved the sling ring. ¡°You will not make a portal again until you can recite the fourteen rules by heart. Am I understood?¡±

    ¡°Uh, y-yes, Mr Wong. Sir.¡±

    ¡°Master Wong,¡± Wong corrected him, then turned to May, who was also looking wide-eyed at Ned. ¡°The boy has a rare talent. I am not sure how deeply it goes, but he has a natural gift for channelling magical energies. I would recommend him to the Ancient One for training at Kamar-taj.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Kamar-taj?¡± Peter asked, a little uncertainly.

    I raised a hand to catch Wong¡¯s attention. ¡°Ned¡¯s still in high school. Would it be possible at all for him to commute to Kamar-taj via the New York Sanctum? Learn part-time while he¡¯s still in school?¡±

    ¡°It would be highly irregular¡­¡±

    ¡°I mean, so is basically everything else I¡¯ve been even remotely involved in, right?¡±

    Wong ¡®hrmmmm¡¯ed. ¡°The Ancient One may allow it. I will raise it when I speak with her.¡± He turned back to Ned. ¡°If you would be interested in becoming a student, that is.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re asking me if I want to learn magic?¡± Ned asked, still a little shellshocked. ¡°Yeah! I mean¡­ Yeah!¡±

    ¡°Ned¡­¡± May interjected. ¡°You¡¯ll need to talk to your Lola, first.¡±

    He shook his head jerkily, a massive goofy grin splitting his face. ¡°Oh, yeah, I will. She¡¯ll be okay with it, definitely. I¡¯ll ask as soon as I get home.¡±

    Wong nodded. ¡°Very well. Should the Ancient One be amenable to Wanda¡¯s proposed arrangement, I will be in touch.¡± He turned back to the Avengers. ¡°Unless there is anything else, I will return to Kamar-taj.¡±

    ¡°Thank you again for your time, Master Wong,¡± Steve responded warmly.

    With that, the sorcerer spun up a portal and headed through, shooting me one last considering look before the gateway closed behind him.

    Tony took the opportunity to step forward. ¡°So, May, I was thinking¡ªit okay if we hold onto Peter for a little while longer today? We¡¯ll give him a proper tour of the compound, do lunch, that sort of thing.¡± He shot Peter a smile and wink. ¡°I¡¯ll let him have a peek at the labs. I hear he¡¯s a bit of a tech head.¡±

    Peter almost started vibrating at the mere suggestion of getting to take a look around one of Tony Stark¡¯s personal labs and he shot May a look, his eyes wide and pleading. She smiled and shook her head. ¡°Sure. That¡¯d be fine. Just drop him back before dinner, okay?¡±

 Chapter 71

    Once May and Ned had been returned safely home through a portal, the rest of the group broke apart as well. Nat gave me a little peck on the cheek, our hands lingering interlocked for a brief moment, before she left with Rhodey to talk about boring government liaison stuff. Steve and Sam said they were heading for the training space in the hangar for a light warmup, and told us to drop by once we¡¯d finished at the labs. Pietro and I followed along with Peter, Tony taking the lead.

    Just outside our destination, I touched Peter on the shoulder to ask him to wait. ¡°Hey Tony? Can I just have a real quick second with Peter first?¡±

    Tony¡¯s eyes narrowed briefly, but then he shrugged. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll head in and let Bruce and our Princess know we¡¯ve got a visitor.¡±

    I waited until he¡¯d headed inside, standing quietly with Pietro and Peter for a few moments before I turned to the teen, swallowing nervously. ¡°Hey, so, um,¡± I started, suddenly anxious again. I rubbed at my arm absently. ¡°Peter, I just wanted to say that I¡¯m really sorry about what happened. HYDRA. Putting May and Ned in danger. I almost got you killed. Just¡­ everything.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he straightened up, a flash of concern passing across his face. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to be sorry! You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±

    ¡°I know. I still feel responsible.¡±

    He paused for a moment, his eyes flicking to Pietro briefly before he averted his eyes, looking down and to the side. ¡°I¡­ in the Tower. When I got shot.¡± He swallowed. ¡°When you were trying to help me and you just¡­ you fell over. Stopped moving. I was so sure, for a second, that you¡¯d died. That you¡¯d died and it was my fault.¡±

    ¡°How could it have been your fault?¡±

    ¡°Because I shouldn¡¯t have gotten shot!¡± he said, his voice a little thicker with emotion. ¡°You kept trying to tell me that we shouldn¡¯t fight, but I was so sure I could take them and¡­¡± he trailed off with a slightly shaky breath.

    ¡°Hey, no.¡± I reached out and took hold of his arm. He was trembling a little. Not much, but enough that I could feel it. ¡°I know no teenager ever likes to hear this, but you¡¯re still just a kid, Peter. I was the adult in the situation, and I put you in danger.¡±

    Peter was quiet, his jaw working silently for a moment before he looked back up at me. He wasn¡¯t on the verge of tears, exactly, but his eyes were a little shinier than they had been and his cheeks were flushed. For the first time since we¡¯d picked him up, I noticed that he had slight dark circles under his eyes.

    Fuck. This was my fault. I had kept putting off talking to Peter because I¡¯d felt guilty and didn¡¯t want to face him, telling myself that he probably didn¡¯t want to see me. I¡¯d been so worried that he¡¯d be upset with me, but the whole time he¡¯d been blaming himself for what had happened. It was starting to feel like I just couldn¡¯t do anything right.

    ¡°You did good, okay?¡± I said firmly. ¡°If I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, then neither did you. If anything, you saved me. I think I probably would have died if you hadn¡¯t been there. Come here.¡±

    I pulled Peter¡¯s arm gently and he very easily let me draw him into a hug, putting his arms around me and holding on tightly for a moment. Rubbing the back of his head soothingly with one hand, I glanced over at Pietro, who gave me a tight smile, sympathy written across his features. After a second, I pulled back from the embrace and looked at Peter seriously. He hid his face a little, wiping at his eyes with his wrist.

    ¡°Have you been sleeping okay?¡± I asked softly.

    ¡°Not really. I¡¯ve¡­¡± He hesitated, clearly not really wanting to admit he¡¯d been having nightmares. ¡°¡­just been having some bad dreams. That¡¯s all,¡± he settled on.

    I squeezed his arm. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not an Avenger, but my original offer to you is still there. I¡¯ll give you my number. If there¡¯s anything you need¡­ anything. Even if you just want someone to talk to. I¡¯ll be there. Okay?¡±

    Peter nodded. ¡°Thanks. I¡­ that¡­ just thanks.¡± He took a deep breath to steady himself, then hesitated again, glancing back in the direction we came before looking back at me. ¡°Uh. I hope it¡¯s not rude to ask, but are you and Ms Romanoff¡­?¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Cool. That¡¯s cool,¡± he said, then frowned, shaking his head and looking at me with a touch of confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t get it, though. She¡¯s an Avenger. Your brother¡¯s an Avenger. You¡¯ve got powers. You fought with them¡­ why aren¡¯t you an Avenger?¡±

    I fidgeted for a moment, feeling small and tired all of a sudden, and sighed. ¡°I really wish everyone would stop asking me that. It¡¯s complicated, Peter. I don¡¯t really want to talk about it, if that¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Sorry. I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Pietro interjected, stepping forward to pat Peter on the shoulder. ¡°We should probably go up, yeah? Don¡¯t want to keep Stark waiting.¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah. Yeah.¡± Peter nodded, straightening up again.

    I shot my brother a grateful smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Tony met us at the top of the stairs and gestured for us to follow him. With the space to spread out afforded by the size of the compound, an entire floor of the building had been claimed as an extensive set of labs¡ªI knew Dr Cho¡¯s stuff was being set up in here somewhere as well, but we didn¡¯t see her, instead beelining for the engineering wing, stepping through a sliding door that opened and closed silently.

    A decent amount of equipment had been set up already, but it was still a clear work in progress, almost half of the space taken up by a mix of neatly arranged metal crates and haphazardly unpacked and stacked machine parts. A pair of autonomous robotic arms rolled around the far end, slowly but surely assembling what I was pretty sure was some sort of large, complex fabricator that Tony used for rapid prototyping of parts.

    Shuri was at a workstation close to the door and stood up as we entered. She was wearing a long, bright orange coat, sleeveless with a high collar, the black straps of the top she had on underneath hanging off her shoulders. Her long braids hung loose about her shoulders, intricately-wrought golden caps threaded onto the ends. I felt a little underdressed and slovenly in comparison, and wondered vaguely how long it took her to get ready in the morning. She shot me a baleful glare, her posture stiff. I raised my hand in an awkward half-wave, shooting her a tight but hopefully friendly smile. I still didn¡¯t really know how to act around her, but I didn¡¯t want to do or say anything that might cause her to snap or get angry.

    I felt about ninety-nine per cent sure that Peter and Shuri were going to get along like a house on fire. He was a few years younger than her, but he was a lot closer to her age than Tony and Bruce. They were both super smart¡ªShuri more so, of course, but Peter was no slouch¡ªwith similar scientific/tech interests, and her dry, slightly-smug sense of humour was along the same lines as MJ¡¯s. I really didn¡¯t want my presence to mean that they had a bad first impression of each other. Maybe it would have been better for me to just leave Peter with Tony, though it was a bit late for that now.

    Tony took the lead and gestured dramatically toward her, bowing his head slightly. ¡°Peter Parker, I¡¯d like you to meet Princess Shuri, our resident royal, visiting from Wakanda. Just Shuri, like a rockstar or the Pope.¡±

    Tony¡¯s introduction was enough to pull Shuri¡¯s attention off of me and she rolled her eyes a little, turning slightly to very firmly ignore me and giving Peter a tight smile. ¡°Hello, Peter Parker.¡±

    Peter¡¯s eyes had gone wide, like a deer caught in headlights. ¡°Uh, hi! Hello, princess, um, you¡ª¡± he fumbled, lurching awkwardly forward in a stiff half-bow. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m Peter.¡±

    Oh. Oh no.

    ¡°Yes, I know,¡± Shuri said, mild amusement in her tone. ¡°I hear you¡¯ll be an Avenger-in-training?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Um, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m Spiders.¡± Peter paused, looking panicked. ¡°Uh, Spider-Man! I''m Spider-Man.¡± He swallowed nervously, hands balled into fists at his sides as he went quiet.

    Jesus Christ, the kid was drowning.

    ¡°Peter¡¯s actually a bit of a science guy,¡± I jumped in, valiantly trying to rescue him. ¡°Midtown School of Science and Technology, top of his class. Programming, engineering, biochemistry. He invented his own synthetic spiderweb¡ªits ridiculous stuff, tensile strength is off the charts.¡±

    A flicker of annoyance passed across Shuri¡¯s face at my interruption¡ªshe glared at me again momentarily before her expression softened and she looked back at Peter. Even though she didn¡¯t like me, I was pretty sure she¡¯d caught my intent. ¡°Is that so?¡± she asked. ¡°When you¡¯ve had a chance to settle in, I¡¯d be interested in taking a look at the formula, if you¡¯d be willing to share it?¡±

    Tony had his phone out, flicking it forward to project a small holographic screen showing one of the videos a bystander had caught of Peter web-slinging around the city. ¡°It¡¯s pretty impressive stuff, yeah,¡± he said, then pulled a face. ¡°Shame about that onesie, though.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not a onesie,¡± Peter responded sullenly, a little deflated.

    Tony shot him a sceptical look. ¡°Either way, you are in dire need of an upgrade; systemic, top to bottom. A hundred-point restoration. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll sort you out. Part of the perks of the team.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°I have somewhere else I need to be,¡± Shuri announced suddenly. She walked over toward us and I sensed Peter stiffen a little as she drew closer, stopping an arm¡¯s length away from him. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be seeing you again soon. It was nice to meet you, Peter Parker.¡±

    ¡°I- I¡¯m nice to meet. Um, I mean, it was nice to meeting you, too.¡± His mouth snapped shut and I winced a little. Absolutely mortifying. Okay, yeah, I¡¯d slightly miscalculated the implications of introducing the teenage boy to the attractive, highly intelligent princess¡­ Hopefully that wouldn¡¯t cause any problems.

    Shuri shot him one more amused look before she continued past us and out the door.

    Once she was gone, Peter whipped around to face me, a look of betrayal on his face. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me I was going to meet a princess!¡± he hissed.

    Over on the other side of the room, Tony tried not to snigger. I held up my hands defensively and gestured toward him. ¡°Tony said!¡±

    ¡°I thought it was, like, a nickname or something! That he was making a joke!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was that big a deal!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal! I just¡­ ugh.¡± He paused and bit his lip, his expression thoughtful. ¡°She really doesn¡¯t like you, does she?¡±

    I winced again. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. Probably just don¡¯t mention me at all when you talk to her.¡±

    He frowned at that, but nodded. ¡°¡­Okay, if you say so.¡±

    Tony stepped over and clapped him on the shoulder. ¡°C¡¯mon, kid, I¡¯ll show you what we¡¯re working with, here.¡±

    We spent the next forty-five minutes touring the labs¡ªit would have gone a lot faster, but Peter quickly got comfortable and had a million excited questions to ask. He and Tony got sidetracked a few times, delving into a discussion of science and tech stuff that I didn¡¯t really understand. I hung back a step or two, listening quietly, my attention drifting elsewhere for the most part. Pietro seemed more interested than I was, even asking a question or two himself. As we went, Peter got brief introductions to Bruce and Dr Cho as well, the latter of whom I was also meeting for the first time.

    Afterwards, Tony got a phone call he had to take and said he¡¯d see us at lunch, so Pietro and I snagged Peter and headed across the compound to the hangar. The teen rubbernecked a little at the Quinjet that was currently parked on the landing pad at the front of the building as we passed it by, heading through to the exercise/training centre that took up about a third of the indoor space.

    Steve, Bucky and Sam were sitting on a couple of benches next to the multipurpose sports court, drinking from water bottles and chatting a little. They¡¯d changed from the clothes they were wearing earlier into some light activewear¡ªSteve and Bucky still looked pretty fresh, but Sam had massive sweat patches staining his shirt. The perils of being an unenhanced person training with two super soldiers, I guess.

    Steve shot us a smile as we approached. ¡°Hey! How¡¯d the tour go?¡±

    ¡°Amazing. There¡¯s just so much cool stuff,¡± Peter said, shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°Mr Stark said he would help design a new suit for me! It¡¯s¡­ all of this is so unbelievable. It¡¯s like a dream.¡±

    ¡°And Shuri¡¯s interested in taking a look at his webbing,¡± I chimed in.

    Peter reddened slightly. The three guys didn¡¯t miss it, Steve and Bucky exchanging a small smile and knowing look. Casually, Bucky reached behind the bench and produced a basketball, spinning it effortlessly on his finger. ¡°We¡¯ve got a little bit of time before lunch. What do you think? In the mood for a little three-a-side?¡±

    ¡°The three of us against the three of you?¡± I asked, a little uncertainly. I actually had very little experience playing basketball, and the little grin Bucky had on his face put me in mind of a shark sizing up his next meal.

    He shrugged. ¡°Sure. I mean, if the kid¡¯s up for it.¡±

    I looked over at the teen. ¡°Peter?¡±

    Peter blinked, a small smile plastered across his face. ¡°Uh, yeah. That sounds fun.¡± He sounded really nervous. I supposed it was still sinking in that he was actually here and would be interacting with the team on a regular basis from now on¡ªit¡¯s not every day that you get asked if you want to play basketball with some of the Avengers.

    ¡°You gotta be kidding me,¡± Sam protested. ¡°I am literally the only normal person here.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sam, we¡¯ll keep it clean.¡± Steve chuckled, clapping his hands together as he stood. ¡°Ten minutes. No super strength dunks, no super speed, and no magic,¡± he said, looking pointedly between Pietro and I.

    Pietro shrugged, a cheeky look on his face. ¡°Cowards.¡±

    ¡°Sure, fine,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°Me and my boys don¡¯t need powers to run circles around a normie and a couple of senior citizens. Right, Ps?¡± My confidence might have been misplaced, but hell if I was going to back down from the challenge. I had enhanced reflexes and strength from the Heart-Shaped Herb, so I should at least be able to keep up with everyone else.

    ¡°Right,¡± Peter responded, chuckling nervously.

    Steve retrieved a coin from somewhere and held it ready, glancing at the teenager before he flicked it into the air. ¡°Call it.¡±

    ¡°Uh, heads.¡±

    Steve checked the result. ¡°Tails,¡± he said with a small, smirk. ¡°We¡¯ll start.¡±

    Bucky tossed Peter the ball and we moved onto the court. Embarrassingly, Steve had to move me into position, patiently explaining that the defence needed to start inside the arc. Oh, good, half-court had extra rules that I didn¡¯t know. When everyone was ready, the game started with Peter passing the ball to Bucky.

    Pietro and I moved to intercept, but Bucky spun and managed to thread the ball precisely between us, passing to Steve¡ªit was immediately clear that they¡¯d played together a lot. Steve stepped around Peter in a fluid motion and took the first shot from outside the arc, with none of our team in a position to stop it.

    The ball swished cleanly through the hoop.

    ¡°Two-nothing,¡± he said with a shrug, like it was no big deal.

    Oh, damn. Me and my big mouth. We were about to get rinsed.

    Pietro grabbed the ball from under the basket. He threw it to me, but I wasn¡¯t completely ready for it. I caught it, my enhanced reflexes kicking in, but froze as Bucky stepped into my path¡ªI wasn¡¯t sure which way to go. His smirk was infuriatingly smug.

    ¡°Go on,¡± he teased, eyes flashing with amusement. ¡°Don¡¯t let the ¡®senior citizen¡¯ spook you.¡±

    I faked left then bolted to the right, doing what I thought was a passable job of dribbling the ball. Bucky moved with me, forcing me to spin and pass to Peter, who zipped around Steve like he¡¯d been bitten by a radioactive LeBron James rather than a spider. He launched a shot from just outside the arc and it bounced off the rim.

    Steve snagged the rebound. ¡°Nice try, kid,¡± he said, tossing the ball back out to Bucky¡ªwho I was stupidly not marking. Bucky flicked the ball right back in to Sam. Pietro narrowly missed intercepting it and Sam made a quick layup.

    ¡°Three-nothing,¡± Bucky said, his smirk widening.

    Peter nodded, his eyes narrowing a little as something clicked into place. He was relentless after that. Locked in. He darted and dodged, somehow managing to get around Steve and Bucky to pass to Pietro, who was free and clear to score our first basket.

    The next few plays were a blur of movement and adrenaline, Sam and I both being edged out by the others¡ªSam was struggling to keep up and, despite the benefits granted by the Heart-Shaped Herb, I was pretty obviously the least-skilled player there. Even with me as a lead weight around my team¡¯s neck, Peter was faster and stronger than the super soldiers, and he and Pietro working together managed to close the gap to 7-6. Honestly, I¡¯d been expecting Pietro to give up and cheat with his speed, but he played well without getting frustrated¡ªhe even seemed to be enjoying having the handicap.

    It came down to one final play. Peter had the ball and I darted into the open, just inside the arc. Sam moved to block, but Peter easily lobbed the ball past him with a quick shout. I caught it, turned, and took the shot. It felt perfect as it left my hands, soaring through the air toward the hoop.

    And then Bucky¡¯s metal arm came out of nowhere, swatting it down with a resounding smack.

    Without slowing, he scooped up the ball and passed it out to Steve, who threw just as the alarm went off¡ªsignalling the end of the game¡ªsinking a final long shot with the calm precision of someone who¡¯s done it a thousand times before.

    Peter groaned, flopping dramatically onto the ground. ¡°Aw, man.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s game,¡± Steve said, grinning as he held his hand up for Bucky to high five him. Sam was bent at the waist, hands on his knees, panting, but straightened back up in time to join his two teammates in a round of self-congratulatory pats on the back. Pietro offered Peter his hand, pulling the teen back to his feet.

    ¡°Not bad for a normie and a couple of senior citizens, right?¡± Bucky said, shooting me a smug look.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Lucky break,¡± I responded, but I was smiling too.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Steve collected the ball and jogged over to the storage unit off to one side of the court, dropping it in before turning back to everyone else. ¡°Who¡¯s ready for lunch? Let¡¯s head up.¡±

    As the group came together and started to move toward the exit, I straightened up. ¡°Oh! Bucky, I¡¯ll top you up now, if that¡¯s okay. Otherwise I¡¯ll forget.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Sure,¡± he said, glancing toward Steve. ¡°We¡¯ll catch up in a minute.¡±

    ¡°Go with them,¡± I told Peter. ¡°Save me a seat.¡±

    Everyone else continued to head out while I went back over to one of the benches that the guys had been sitting on. I put one leg over and sat straddling it, patting the spot in front of me expectantly. Bucky rolled his eyes a little, but obediently came over and mirrored my movement, so we were sitting facing each other.

    Red wisps of chaos magic caressed his limbs before securing him tightly, and I reached on and placed a hand on his forehead. Closing my eyes, I cast my magical senses out and examined the spell I had placed on him to restrain the Winter Soldier persona. Once I was sure that it was still holding perfectly well, I touched the linked battery enchantment and filled it with power.

    ¡°All done,¡± I announced. Dismissing the magic binding him, I dropped my hand from Bucky¡¯s forehead, but, before I could stand up, he reached over with his non-metal hand and gently grabbed hold of my forearm. I looked at him, surprised, a questioning look in my eyes. He didn¡¯t say anything at first, simply holding onto my arm, as though he was working up to saying something. ¡°Uh, I mean, you know I¡¯m up for whatever but we should probably be quick,¡± I joked.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t¡­ had much of a chance to talk since everything happened,¡± Bucky said hesitantly. He looked a little uncomfortable, maybe even anxious.

    The temporary good mood the game had put me in evaporated completely and I heaved a sigh. What had I done now? I braced myself for the worst. Bucky¡­ I didn¡¯t even know what he was going to confront me about yet, but out of everyone I¡¯d upset over the last few days, this one was definitely going to hurt. He was the first person I¡¯d really managed to get onto my side; who¡¯d believed in me. What had I done to upset him? My chest felt tight. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Whatever it is, just tell me. I¡¯ll do better.¡±

    His brow furrowed slightly and he shook his head. ¡°Huh? No. I mean, I wanted to just¡­ let you know I know how it feels.¡±

    ¡°¡­How what feels?¡±

    ¡°Before you and Steve found me,¡± he said, looking at me seriously with his steely, grey-blue eyes. ¡°There were a few times when I thought it might be better for everyone if I just¡­ ended it. I knew there was a chance I¡¯d become the Winter Soldier again. I was a danger to myself and everyone around me.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. This wasn¡¯t what I¡¯d been expecting at all. I felt some of the tension leave my chest.

    ¡°I came pretty close, one night. The only thing that stopped me was¡­ Steve. I thought about him finding out and it made me feel sick. I couldn¡¯t do it.¡± Bucky shook his head, frowning, and gave my arm a little bit of a squeeze. ¡°I¡¯m not great at this sort of thing. I just¡­ I wanted to let you know that I get it. If that helps.¡±

    I reached up and put my free hand over his, a little bit of a lump in my throat, giving him a squeeze in return. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it helps, but I appreciate it anyway,¡± I said. We stayed like that for a few moments¡ªin a slightly awkward, but also slightly comforting, silence¡ªbefore I flicked my head in the direction everyone else had gone. ¡°Come on. We should catch up to everyone else. Unless¡­?¡± I bit my lip and eyed him suggestively.

    Bucky gave a long-suffering sigh, a small smile curving his lips. ¡°Not today, Wanda.¡± He let go of my arm and stood up, starting off toward the exit.

    I blinked. ¡°Hang on, what does ¡®not today¡¯ mean?¡± I called after him, hurrying to my feet. ¡°Bucky? What do you mean ¡®not today¡¯?¡±

 Chapter 72

    ¡°Alright, Captain,¡± I said. ¡°Permission to come aboard?¡±

    The holographic image of Carol Danvers inclined her head, a small smile on her face. ¡°Permission granted.¡±

    I was in the briefing room in the main living area at the Avengers compound, along with Pietro, Natasha, Steve, Tony and Clint. Tony had put together a specialised comms array based on Carol¡¯s specifications to allow for directed signals to be shunted through the Universal Neural Teleportation Network and, as far as we could tell, it was all working perfectly. As long as Carol¡¯s ship was within a certain distance of a jump point, we¡¯d be able to call through to her¡ªor anyone else we had the right codes for, for that matter¡ªand have real-time conversations no matter the distance. I was pretty pleased about it; this would make things a lot easier going forward when it came to planning our future moves against Thanos.

    There was just one other logistical thing we needed to test out. Stepping back from the table, I fixed an image of Carol in my mind¡ªvisualising her face, her body, her scent, the way her power thrummed beneath her skin¡ªuntil I could practically feel her right there in front of me. I took a deep breath and spun a thread of chaos magic into the sling ring I was wearing, my free hand gesturing to create a portal.

    Nothing happened.

    I continued to focus, repeating the circular movement again and again as I channelled more magic into the ring. There was a small red spark, but it sputtered out again almost instantly. Frowning, I poured even more energy into the relic, feeling the spellwork reach out further than it ever had before. The spell flailed awkwardly into the ether, untethered and wobbling, like a tower that had been built too tall. There was a clear target in my magical perception, provided by my focus on Carol, but it felt impossibly far away. The threads of magic refined by the ring were being stretched incredibly thinly, straining to reach their destination.

    I redoubled my efforts, feeling my hands start to tremble a little. I was breathing hard, now. My target was moving, spinning, slipping away from me. When I¡¯d created portals into Earth orbit I had noticed a slight drag effect¡ªI hadn¡¯t really paid it any mind at the time as it hadn¡¯t really impacted my ability to make portals, but this threw it into pretty stark relief. At the distances involved, it was less like trying to draw a straight line from point A to point B and more like I was trying to accurately lasso a moving target with a throw from somewhere beyond the horizon. The gulf of space between Carol and me was mind-bogglingly large, difficult for a human mind to even conceptualise properly. She was in orbit around a planet a hundred trillion miles away¡ªwe were moving at phenomenal speeds relative to each other and we were spinning, spinning, spinning. I fell to my knees, feeling my gorge rise as dizziness overtook me for a moment.

    ¡°Wanda?!¡±

    My shoulders shook with effort as I pushed even harder, staring at the ground in front of me, willing a portal to open there. I drew deeply on my well of personal power¡ªas deeply as I had when I¡¯d thrown up the flawed Hex in Wakanda. I was dimly aware of concerned voices around me, but I couldn¡¯t really hear them, blood pounding in my ears as I continued to gesture, continued to feed more and more magic into the ring, extending the reach as far as I could push it. Embers started to flare into being, red wisps of chaos magic drawn whip-thin and snapping like sparks from struck metal. My head hurt.

    The portal suddenly flared fully to life below me and I fell through, grunting in pain as my knees banged painfully against the metal floor of the Hoopty. The gateway above me snapped shut almost instantly; I just couldn¡¯t hold it for more than a bare couple of seconds.

    Carol was immediately at my side, a steadying hand on my shoulder. ¡°Wanda? Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°¡®M gonna be sick,¡± I mumbled, my throat feeling thick.

    She hooked her hands under my shoulders, lifting me like I weighed essentially nothing to her, and quickly carried me through to the ship¡¯s bathroom, managing to get me in front of the toilet a bare moment before I started to retch in earnest. Working quickly, she gathered my hair in one hand and held it back, out of the way. Her other hand started rubbing gentle circles on my back, and she murmured indistinct but soothing words as I messily emptied the contents of my stomach.

    Less than ten minutes later, I was back on my feet¡ªI¡¯d washed my face, rinsed my mouth, and Carol and I had rejoined everyone to discuss what had just happened.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Tony said. ¡°You said that Dr Weird and the other sorcerers could do this easily, right? Portals across space?¡±

    ¡°Strange,¡± I corrected him. I was still breathing a bit hard. ¡°Yeah. Just the once, though, that I know of. He didn¡¯t¡­ this isn¡¯t right. He was fine when he did it. It shouldn¡¯t be this hard. I¡¯m doing something wrong.¡±

    Nat looked thoughtful for a moment. ¡°Could it be something to do with the fact that you¡¯re using your personal power instead of sorcery? What did Master Wong call it? Chaos magic?¡±

    Huh. That wasn¡¯t actually something I¡¯d considered as a possibility at all. I didn¡¯t think it would cause issues¡ªsame shit, different bucket, right? Then again, I knew so little about the way that magic functioned that I couldn¡¯t really rule it out. ¡°Maybe,¡± I hedged. ¡°It could be anything, really. It feels like¡­ like I¡¯m trying to brute force something that you aren¡¯t supposed to brute force. The other theory I had, last time I tried something like this, is that maybe there are advanced techniques of some kind, or supplementary support spells you can use to amplify the range of the spell.¡±

    This had been the easy test, too. Carol had parked over a random planet with a jump point on the opposite side of the Milky Way to start with. The plan had been to try this first and then, next time, we¡¯d have her head over to somewhere in Andromeda¡ªmaybe Xandar or Knowhere¡ªand check intergalactic distances as well, but there was no point doing that now. The distances involved in that were orders of magnitude larger and, based on what had just happened, there was simply no way I¡¯d be able to make a portal that far.

    ¡°Maybe we should just ask Kamar-taj?¡± Clint piped up. ¡°They would know, right?¡±

    I snorted and shook my head. ¡°We can try, but fat chance. They aren¡¯t happy that I¡¯ve still got the ring at all. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any way they¡¯d be keen to teach me how to use it better.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯d have a better chance if we framed it as a request from the Avengers?¡± Steve said uncertainly.

    Tony was resting his elbow on the table, stroking his beard, a slight frown marring his features. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I think Wanda¡¯s probably right on this one¡ªthey¡¯re just gonna say no and we really don¡¯t have a lot of social capital to burn with them.¡±

    Clint frowned, but nodded. ¡°I guess. The Ancient One¡¯s still a little stand-offish, and we probably didn¡¯t help matters with the whole spontaneous ¡®let¡¯s have everyone try to learn portals¡¯ lesson.¡±

    ¡°Will you be okay to come back?¡± Natasha asked me, sounding a little worried.

    ¡°I think so, probably, just¡­ maybe not right away.¡± I glanced at Carol, a slight questioning look on my face. ¡°If Carol¡¯s happy to put up with me for a little bit, I might just hang out here for an hour or so, rest and recover a little, before I try. I¡¯m feeling pretty drained after that.¡±

    Carol nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. ¡°Of course. Worst comes to worst, we can just head back to Earth so I can drop you home. We¡¯re only seven jumps away, wouldn¡¯t take long.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Steve said. ¡°If you run into any more trouble, call and let us know.¡±

    ¡°Will do, Captain.¡± I saluted him.

    He rolled his eyes, but smiled. ¡°Go rest up.¡±

    ¡°Speak soon,¡± Carol said with a wave, then closed the comms. She turned to me and smiled sympathetically. ¡°I could make you a bit of tummy tea; it might settle your stomach, make you feel a little better?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure. That sounds nice.¡±

    Carol fished out a kettle, filling it up and then laying her hand on it briefly. Orange energy flared through her skin, outlining her bones, and a second later the water was boiling. She retrieved a pair of mugs, making herself something zesty-smelling while she made me my tummy tea.

    It was pleasantly fragrant, smelling and tasting of sweet mint, ginger and fennel. I held the mug in both hands and inhaled deeply, enjoying the aroma, then blew on it and carefully took a small sip. ¡°I hate to be a pest, but there were actually a couple of other things I was going to ask you very nicely to look into for me, while you¡¯re bouncing around the universe, if it¡¯s not too much trouble.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡¯ Carol asked, leaning back against the wall as she nursed her tea, looking at me curiously.

    ¡°Translator implants, for one. I definitely want one, and some of the Avengers might as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. That makes sense. Uh, I¡¯ve got a Kree universal implant, but those aren¡¯t easy to get hold of. There are other types around¡ªyou can get them pretty much anywhere where trade happens through the network¡ªbut they work off a database and sometimes you run into languages they can¡¯t translate.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re able to get your hands on would be good. Do you think Tony and Shuri would be able to reverse engineer one?¡±

    Carol wobbled her head from side to side in a ¡®so-so¡¯ gesture. ¡°Maybe. All the actually worthwhile ones are proprietary to whichever megacorp made them, and they generally have pretty strong anti-tampering measures built in to protect their designs.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Fair enough.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pick up a few, next time I see them. You gonna reimburse me?¡± Carol asked, a teasing edge to her tone.

    ¡°US dollars probably aren¡¯t going to cut it, are they?¡± Before she could respond, I bit my lip and tilted my head, leaning forward a little. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s some¡­ other way I could repay you?¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    She chuckled. ¡°Maybe there is. Anything else, or was it just the translators?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s this guy on Earth, Enhanced, someone who¡¯s a good friend and ally¡­ he¡¯s blind. He was in an accident when he was young,¡± I said. ¡°I was really hoping to help him out. I know that cybernetic prosthetics exist, but I don¡¯t know how common they are or anything.¡±

    Carol grimaced, shaking her head. ¡°Yeah, they exist, but I¡¯m pretty sure that eyes¡ªin particular¡ªare not cheap.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Of course not. Sorry, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say no,¡± she said, making a dismissive gesture with her hand. ¡°It just might be tricky to track some down that are affordable and still worth grabbing. Leave it with me, I¡¯ll have a think and talk to some people.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. I really do appreciate it.¡± My eyes flashed mischievously and I placed my mug of half-drunk tea on a side table, stepping closer to Carol before sinking down onto my knees in front of her. I looked up at her expectantly, back straight. ¡°¡­I can start paying you back, in advance, right now, if you¡¯d like?¡±

    ¡°I thought you needed to rest and recover?¡± she reminded me, though she was grinning. ¡°Get some energy back?¡±

    ¡°Well, I mean, you¡¯re full of energy. You are what you eat, and all that.¡± I reached over and hooked my hands around Carol¡¯s legs, just under her butt, and gently tried to pull her closer to me.

    Carol barked out a short laugh, shaking her head, and very pointedly resisted my attempt to move her. She took a leisurely sip of her tea while I waited on my knees, then reached down with her free hand and lifted my chin with a finger. ¡°Okay, but first you¡¯re going to finish your tea, then you¡¯re going to go brush your teeth and freshen up,¡± she said, then crinkled her nose at me. ¡°You¡¯re still a little gross.¡±

    ¡°Gross?!¡± I said with mock outrage, then paused and shrugged. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fair enough. Sorry. I¡¯ll go clean myself up¡­ then I can start paying you back.¡±

    A few hours later¡ªa little less rested than I probably should have been¡ªI managed to successfully portal back to the Avengers compound (after several false starts and another bout of vomiting). No one bothered to ask why I¡¯d taken so long to get back.

    --

    After what felt like an eternity we finally pulled over, coming to a much more abrupt stop than I really would have liked. I didn¡¯t say anything, sitting quietly for a moment while I made an active effort to control my breathing, slowly unclenched my fists, and tried to let my shoulders relax, heart pounding in my chest. Pietro glanced over at me, an amused smirk on his face. I glared at him.

    Natasha had driven into the city for a late afternoon meeting at the United Nations HQ and had, very kindly, let Pietro and I borrow her car for the evening while she was dealing with that and a few other little errands around Manhattan. Of course, Nat happened to drive a black Chevrolet Corvette Stingray¡ªa sleek, low-slung sportscar¡ªand Pietro had looked at me with puppy-dog eyes until I¡¯d agreed to let him be the one to drive us.

    Never again.

    ¡°It¡¯s a nice car,¡± he said with a casual shrug, ignoring the clear distress I was in. ¡°It handles really well.¡±

    ¡°¡®It¡¯s a nice car, it handles really well¡¯,¡± I repeated in a high-pitched, sarcastic voice. He¡¯d at least driven a bit more responsibly once we¡¯d gotten to the suburbs but, even then, it was borderline. ¡°I swear to God, Pietro¡­ you are not driving in the city ever again. Not while I¡¯m in the car, at least. I¡¯d rather have you carry me again, like in the old days.¡±

    ¡°Feh. You¡¯re being silly.¡±

    ¡°Am I?¡± I said, eyes flashing red with chaos magic. ¡°Am I being silly?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Pietro responded, still smirking a little. ¡°Why did you want to do this, anyway?¡± He lowered his head a little, peering through the car window at the glass-fronted suburban mansion we¡¯d parked in front of. ¡°I still think you could have let Natasha or someone else handle it. This isn¡¯t really important or urgent, right?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°Then why? You¡¯re supposed to be taking it easy.¡±

    ¡°This is easy,¡± I said, a little defensively. ¡°Small, simple, no real way for it to go that badly. In, quick chat, out. Problem solved.¡±

    Pietro rolled his eyes, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. ¡°And now you¡¯re jinxing it.¡±

    ¡°I like doing stuff myself, okay? It makes me feel less useless. You didn¡¯t have to come.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not useless, and even if this guy doesn¡¯t have any powers, I still don¡¯t like you running off to handle random bad guys alone.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ªam I not useless, or am I incapable of handling one unpowered suburban dad by myself? Getting some mixed signals here.¡± I huffed at him. ¡°I know I¡¯m not an Avenger, but give me some credit, at least.¡±

    ¡°Wanda¡­¡±

    I ignored him, annoyed, undoing my seatbelt and getting out of the car instead before taking in a deep lungful of the cool, early evening air. Pietro stepped out as well and we convened on the footpath in front of our destination.

    ¡°This is a really nice house,¡± Pietro commented, shooting me a sidewards glance. ¡°And they say that crime doesn¡¯t pay.¡±

    It was a very expensive-looking house, at least¡ªsleekly modern, with floor-to-ceiling windows taking up two-thirds of the frontage and an immaculately-maintained front lawn and gardens. The path up to the front door had a low-set wall along one side, lined with accent lighting. Natasha had helped me track down the address when I¡¯d asked, as well as made some other arrangements with Tony on my behalf. We headed up the path, stopping next to a huge, hexagonally-patterned pot with what was effectively a small tree in it, and rang the doorbell. After a minute, the door opened to reveal the man we¡¯d come to visit.

    Adrian Toomes¡ªthe Vulture¡ªstood there for a moment, dressed plainly in a blue flannel shirt and jeans, a look of confusion and concern flickering across his face for a brief instant before he smiled. ¡°Can I help you?¡± he asked, his eyes lingered on Pietro.

    ¡°Hi, Adrian,¡± I said, smiling tightly as I drew his attention back to me. ¡°We¡¯re very sorry to bother you at home, but we need to talk to you about your business.¡±

    The man made a passable attempt at looking like he had no idea what we were talking about. ¡°Uh, what about my business? I don¡¯t¡­¡± he looked at Pietro again, licking his lips nervously. ¡°You¡¯re Pietro Maximoff, right? The new Avenger? Look, the Department of Damage Control handles the cleanup of all Avengers-related incidents. My, uh, company legally can¡¯t get involved.¡±

    I clicked my tongue. ¡°Legality isn¡¯t something you¡¯re overly concerned with, though, is it? Look, you know who we are. That should make this an easy conversation. Can we come in, please? We¡¯re just here for a quick chat and then we¡¯ll be out of your hair,¡± I glanced at his balding head. ¡°So to speak. I promise. We won¡¯t take long.¡± I straightened up, setting my shoulders stubbornly.

    He hesitated, blowing air out his nose, probably wracking his brain for any way he could get out of this. After a moment, he gave us another tight smile and stepped aside to hold the door open. ¡°¡­Sure.¡±

    Toomes led us down a small hallway, an expensive-looking abstract painting hanging on the wall, to an open-plan kitchen and living room. He tried to divert us to the dining room, off to one side, but Pietro and I stepped in the opposite direction and lingered in the kitchen instead. I ran my fingers absently along the fancy marble countertop. When it became apparent that we weren¡¯t following him, Toomes grimaced slightly and stepped back to rejoin us.

    ¡°Wife home?¡± I asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s out,¡± he responded tersely. He was standing stiffly, his body language tense.

    ¡°Okay, good,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want to have to awkwardly usher her away.¡±

    ¡°Holy shit.¡± A quiet voice said from behind me, tone filled with amazement. I glanced toward the hallway leading toward the back of the house and saw Liz¡ªhigh school crush of one Peter Parker and unknowing daughter of the Vulture¡ªstanding there, her eyes wide.

    Toomes¡¯ expression shifted instantly, an easy, cheery fa?ade slotting into place. ¡°Sorry, Liz, honey? Could you please leave us be?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine! She can come say hi for a sec!¡± I said brightly, crinkling my nose at her. ¡°We¡¯re just here to talk to your dad about a work contract¡ªpretty boring stuff.¡±

    Liz took a step forward, hesitating a moment. ¡°Woah. Quicksilver! Um. Would it¡­ would it be okay if I got a selfie?¡±

    Pietro glanced slyly in her dad¡¯s direction. ¡°Oh, for sure! Everyone always wants a selfie. That¡¯s fine.¡±

    Toomes let out a slightly forced-sounding laugh, his composure slipping a little. ¡°Okay, honey, just one picture¡ªthey¡¯re very busy, though, we don¡¯t want to take up too much of their time.¡±

    Pietro moved over as Liz fumbled for her phone, shooting her a winning smile that made her cheeks flush, stepping in close to her shoulder as she opened the camera app.

    The teenager hesitated for a brief second, looking over at me. ¡°Um, could I get you in it, too?¡±

    Huh? ¡°What? Me?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah? If that¡¯s okay? You¡¯re Quicksilver¡¯s sister, right?¡±

    I was having trouble processing this. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not an Avenger, though.¡±

    ¡°No, but you still fight with them, right?¡± Liz said, as if she was the one surprised at my reaction. ¡°I mean, you have those cool energy powers and stuff.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah. Sorry, sure.¡± I went over, ducking around to her other side so she had Pietro and I over either shoulder. ¡°Hang on,¡± I said, carefully drawing out a thread of chaos magic, wrapping it around my fingers and bringing my hand up so that it was in the bottom of the shot.

    Liz¡¯s grin was so wide it threatened to split her head in half. ¡°Oh my God, this is so cool,¡± she said quietly, before controlling her expression a little bit for the photo.

    It really was. Holy shit. Things had been a bit up and down for me lately, but this¡­ somehow, this felt really good.

    ¡°Thanks so much!¡± Liz beamed at us.

    ¡°Liz,¡± Toomes said, his voice a little strained. ¡°I really need to wrap up things with these guys now, alright?¡±

    ¡°Uh, sure, dad. Sorry. Thanks again!¡± Liz shot us another smile before retreating back down the hallway she¡¯d come from, almost at a run and practically vibrating with excitement.

    I waited until I was fairly certain she was out of earshot, then turned back to her father. ¡°Okay. Like I said, just a quick chat and we¡¯ll be gone. With any luck, you¡¯ll never have to see us again.¡± Toomes¡¯ smile had vanished, his expression carefully blank. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a business card, offering it to him. ¡°We know all about your operation. You¡¯re done. It¡¯s over. I am giving you one chance to avoid having the Avengers and the Department of Damage Control come down on your entire crew.¡±

    Adrian hesitated a moment before taking the offered card. It was one of Happy¡¯s, with his personal details on the front and an address carefully written on the back. ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡± he asked quietly.

    ¡°There¡¯s a Stark Industries facility at that address. What you¡¯re going to do is pack up everything¡ªand I mean everything; every bit of stolen tech and everything you and your boys have made using it, including the big flappy vulture suit¡ªand deliver it to that address. Tomorrow.¡±

    His face could have been carved from stone.

    ¡°I am asking¡ªvery nicely, very politely and very quietly¡ªfor you to do this. Don¡¯t try to hide or hold anything back. We¡¯ll be watching to make sure, and if we don¡¯t like what we see, the next time you or any of your men will see your families will be when they come to visit you in prison.¡± I sighed and shook my head. ¡°Look, I want to be very clear, here. This is your chance to have a clean break, and you¡¯re extremely lucky to be getting it. The only reason you haven¡¯t already been arrested is that I¡¯m trying to protect your family. You¡¯ve had a good run; now it¡¯s over. Time to go legit. You have one chance. Don¡¯t fuck it up, because there won¡¯t be another. Do you understand?¡±

    He was quiet for a few seconds. ¡°¡­I understand.¡±

    There weren¡¯t many villains that would respond well to something like this¡ªfor most, this would have been a terrible way to try to get them to stop being a bad guy. Adrian Toomes wasn¡¯t most villains, though. He didn¡¯t have an ideological reason driving him. He¡¯d turned to crime because he¡¯d have been financially ruined if he hadn¡¯t. Toomes didn¡¯t have any grand schemes that needed to be foiled¡­ he was purely and only in it for the money, so he could give his family a good life. There was nothing more important to him than his wife and daughter and, with this, I¡¯d effectively trapped him. He wasn¡¯t an idiot; if he didn¡¯t do what he was told, he¡¯d have to come clean to his family and try to get them to go on the run with him, or he¡¯d lose them, or he¡¯d go to prison. I was giving him an out. He basically had to take it.

    I shot him a tight smile. ¡°Good. Look after Liz. She seems like a good kid. I bet she¡¯s gonna do great things. Be a dad she can be proud of.¡± Toomes was looking vaguely off to one side¡ªstill taking in what I was saying, but obviously taking a moment to process what was effectively half his life being upended. I reached over and tapped the card he was holding. ¡°Also, I don¡¯t know his name off-hand, but the guy who does all of your tinkering, repurposing and repairing the stuff you¡¯ve stolen? Get him to call this number and talk to Happy. He¡¯s got a job offer waiting for him at Stark Industries. If any of your other guys have trouble finding work, I¡¯m sure something can be arranged for them as well.¡±

    Toomes¡¯ jaw worked silently for a moment. ¡°Okay,¡± he said, nodding slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    I held up a hand. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything, or try to explain yourself, or whatever. Just do what I¡¯ve asked.¡± I moved slightly, ducking my head down to put my face back into his direct line of vision and locking eyes with him. ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but I really hope we never have to see each other again. For Liz¡¯s sake. We¡¯ll show ourselves out.¡±

 Chapter 73

    My target flared brightly in my mental perception, a small but blazing spark that I felt somehow ¡®matched¡¯ the picture in my head. He was much too far away for my own personal magic to reach him directly, so I couldn¡¯t use his senses to build a picture of his location. Instead, I pulled back a little, carefully using the Mind Stone to feel for other nearby minds. There were five others in relative proximity, but none particularly close to him. My guess was they were in the same building, but not in the same room. I pulled back a little further. There weren¡¯t many people at all wherever he was, so that probably ruled out a military base. Given the current time of day in Sokovia, I guessed he was home¡ªmaybe even at his family¡¯s estate, given how few people were around¡ªrather than wherever he stayed in Novi Grad itself.

    I opened my eyes, letting my connection to the Mind Stone slip away. I took a deep breath, taking my hand off the pendant around my neck and retrieving my sling ring¡ªI didn¡¯t put it on right away, idly toying with it for a few seconds while I thought about how I wanted to handle this. Part of me just wanted to open a portal immediately. No backup, no plan, just jump in and coast through the situation using the overwhelming power at my disposal. I knew it was stupid to feel so annoyed and upset about not being an Avenger, but Pietro had really clinched it for me the other night. I didn¡¯t need to get Avengers-level backup for every little unenhanced villain I was thwarting. I was freaking Wanda Maximoff.

    Still, going into unknown situations alone was just asking for something to go wrong. Having someone else backing me up, or at least aware of where I was going and what I was doing, was important. I picked up my phone and unlocked it, my finger hesitantly hovering over Pietro¡¯s name in my contact list for a moment before I scrolled up to Natasha and stared at her name instead. She had a long, boring conference at the United Nations today that she hadn¡¯t been looking forward to. I¡¯d guess that they¡¯d probably be breaking for lunch soon, if they hadn¡¯t already, but I wasn¡¯t about to interrupt Nat with something minor while she was off doing important Avengers business.

    After Toomes, though, I really didn¡¯t feel like calling Pietro and asking him for help with another small fry. Besides, I was already getting both of them to come along to Westview with me tomorrow. That hadn¡¯t been a fun thing to bring up, but they¡¯d both been pretty supportive, if a little worried about how rough it might be on me.

    I could always do this another time. I didn¡¯t have to do it right now.

    I made a small noise of frustration in the back of my throat. Stupid Avengers. This wasn¡¯t an Avengers-level threat. It wasn¡¯t even a me-level threat. Hell, it was probably not even a threat at all. But even if I was getting frustrated at being treated like I couldn¡¯t do anything on my own, it¡¯d still be stupid to go off and do something like this completely alone. Maybe I could call Bucky? I had no idea what he was up to. He might be free and he wasn¡¯t officially an Avenger yet so it would feel a bit less bad to ask him. Or maybe¡­

    I stood up abruptly, tossing my phone onto the bed and walking out of the bedroom and down the short hallway toward the living room, following the sound of the TV. Yelena was lying splayed out on the couch, an episode of BoJack Horseman playing on the screen in front of her. As I watched, she reached into a bowl of popcorn she had perched precariously in her stomach and stuffed a few pieces in her mouth.

    ¡°Yelena?¡±

    She grunted noncommittally, not looking away from the TV.

    ¡°¡­Never mind, I can see you¡¯re very busy.¡±

    As I turned to head back down the hall, Yelena let out a loud, irritated sigh and pulled herself laboriously into a sitting position, fumbling for the TV remote so she could pause her show. ¡°What? What do you want?¡±

    I stopped. ¡°Want to get out of the apartment? There¡¯s a thing I want to do, but there¡¯s a very slight chance it might go sideways. Will you back me up on it? It shouldn¡¯t take long. Like, twenty, thirty minutes, tops.¡±

    Yelena frowned and sat up a little straighter. ¡°Why are you asking me? Why not talk to Natasha or your brother?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to go running to the Avengers for every little thing,¡± I responded, maybe a little too defensively. ¡°I¡¯m not helpless on my own.¡±

    ¡°¡­But you still want backup, so you won¡¯t be on your own?¡±

    I sighed and rolled my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not getting it; it¡¯s different. Look, are you in or what?¡±

    ¡°Well, I offer several competitively priced packages for my services, depending on your needs,¡± Yelena said. It was my turn to frown and look a little confused. ¡°I¡¯ve decided I want to be a mercenary now. You can be my first client,¡± she clarified.

    ¡°¡­How much?¡±

    ¡°Fifty?¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Fifty thousand dollars?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right¡ªyou said like, twenty minutes. I should probably ask what the thing you want to do actually is, first.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just going to pay a guy a quick visit and make sure he¡¯s not up to anything nefarious.¡±

    ¡°Just the one guy? Does he have henchmen or minions? Goons?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t those all the same thing?¡±

    Yelena gave me a Look, shaking her head. ¡°Absolutely not,¡± she said, her tone switching to an almost classroom-like lecture. ¡°Minions and goons are both low level threats¡ªchaff, your easily-dealt-with followers¡ªbut where minions are loyal to you and your cause, goons are hired guns in it for the money. Henchmen are your more skilled subordinates, like Ghost was to Eliza.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I thought about it for a moment. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have any henchmen that I know of. He¡¯s a Sokovian military officer, so he could have soldiers¡ªdo those count as minions or goons?¡ªbut I think we¡¯re going to be catching him at home, so with any luck he won¡¯t have any with him.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not going to fight him?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I mean, I hope not. Even if we do, he¡¯s just a guy with no special powers. I can handle him.¡±

    Yelena grimaced. ¡°Just one guy and I¡¯m not even going to get to fight him? Ugh. You are the worst first client ever. Alright¡­ five thousand, then.¡±

    ¡°Five thousand?¡±

    ¡°What do you want? Me to come along and be bored for free? I could watch another episode instead. Five thousand. That¡¯s with the ¡®family and friends¡¯ discount.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine. Five thousand.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± she asked, a little surprise in her voice.

    ¡°Okay, first bit of client feedback: Don¡¯t act surprised when a client accepts your offer.¡±

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d just turn me down and call your brother.¡±

    I held up my hands in mock surrender. ¡°Look, you don¡¯t have to do it if you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Yelena snorted, placing her popcorn bowl on the coffee table as she stood up. ¡°And miss out on five thousand dollars for half an hour¡¯s work?¡± She lifted both arms above her head and there was a faint cracking and popping as she stretched. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready in ten.¡±

    --

    Yelena ducked through the portal the instant it was open, leading with her gun held at the ready, moving like the professional assassin she was. I followed quickly after her, stepping over the threshold into an extravagantly-appointed sitting room. The ceiling was high, with intricate plasterwork that caught the faint gleam of the small crystal chandelier bathing the room in a soft, golden glow. Walls of muted dove-grey were punctuated by tall windows framed with cascading silk drapes. A grand fireplace, its mantel carved with delicate floral motifs, dominated one wall, flanked by sleek bookshelves filled with ancient tomes and objets d¡¯art. Clean-lined, contemporary sofas upholstered in lush velvet sat atop a Persian rug so detailed it seemed painted. The air carried a faint scent of aged wood and fresh lilies.

    Our target was standing to one side of the fireplace, hands placidly raised in surrender as Yelena held him at gunpoint. ¡°Ms Maximoff,¡± Baron Helmut Zemo greeted me, seeming far too relaxed given the dynamic nature of our entrance. ¡°§±§Ú§ä§Ñ§à §ã§Ñ§Þ §ã§Ö §Ü§Ñ§Õ§Ñ §Ò§Ú§ç §ä§Ö §Þ§à§Ô§Ñ§à §á§à§ß§à§Ó§à §Ó§Ú§Õ§Ö§ä§Ú.¡± I was wondering when I might see you again.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Yelena side-eyed me, keeping her weapon trained on him, but didn¡¯t say anything. It looked like she was taking her role as a mercenary pretty seriously, which was nice. Did she count as a goon or a henchman, here? She¡¯d probably kick off if I ever called her a goon, so henchman it is. I nodded at my henchman. ¡°He¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll watch him. Make sure we¡¯re not interrupted.¡±

    She immediately snapped back into action, moving quickly to the room¡¯s only visible door. Opening it a fraction of an inch, she carefully checked the hallway outside, then closed and locked it before taking up a position at one of the room¡¯s tall windows, leaning against the frame and carefully peeking out through the curtains, gun held loosely but still ready as she kept a lookout.

    Meanwhile, almost the instant Yelena had lowered her weapon, Zemo walked casually over to one of the sofas and sat down, seemingly completely at his ease despite the fact that we¡¯d just invaded his home. ¡°§¯§Ö?§Ö§Þ§à §Ò§Ú§ä§Ú §å§Ù§ß§Ö§Þ§Ú§â§Ö§ß§Ú. §°§Ó§Õ§Ö §ß§Ö§Þ§Ñ §á§â§Ö§ä?§Ú. §³§Ñ§Þ§à §Þ§à?§Ñ §á§à§â§à§Õ§Ú§è§Ñ.¡± We will not be disturbed. There are no threats here. Only my family. He gestured toward a couch across from him and smiled at me, switching to English. ¡°Please, sit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stand,¡± I responded, a little tersely.

    ¡°As you wish. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?¡±

    ¡°Well, I mean, you did kidnap me that one time.¡±

    ¡°And then I let you go again, as you asked me to.¡±

    ¡°You did,¡± I acknowledged with a small nod. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine your superiors were happy about that.¡±

    ¡°They weren¡¯t, but my family is wealthy and well-connected.¡± Zemo said with a nonchalant shrug. ¡°I could have stayed, but instead I pulled a few strings and chose to step away. An American would call it an honourable discharge. Very unusual in the Sokovian armed forces, for someone uninjured and relatively young, but not entirely unheard of.¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Hang on a sec, sorry. You quit?¡±

    Zemo gave a small, amused smile. ¡°Yes. My father, in particular, was extremely vexed by my decision. But do you know what else my father is?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Alive. As are my wife and son.¡±

    I didn¡¯t respond right away, pausing and looking over toward Yelena. She was still peering through the window, watching vigilantly. I could only imagine she was hoping that this was all an elaborate ruse and we were about to be swarmed by Sokovian military. I glanced back at Zemo. ¡°Family¡¯s important,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Saving yours is one of the few things I¡¯ve done that I feel like I can actually be proud of.¡±

    He pressed his lips together and inclined his head, acknowledging my words. ¡°You reminded me what was truly most important to me. I have been enjoying my early retirement,¡± Zemo said. His eyes flicked down and away for a moment. ¡°I am only sorry you were not able to save your own family, as well.¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°Your husband. Your sons.¡±

    I flinched, almost taking a step backward, feeling a little bit like I¡¯d just been punched in the gut. ¡°How¡­ that¡­ I didn¡¯t intend to show you anything about that.¡± At the time I hadn¡¯t really known what I was doing, my magic wasn¡¯t working right, and I had still been pretty heavily sedated. I¡¯d opened my mind to him in desperation, but all I¡¯d meant to show him was stuff that was personally relevant to him, then the looming threat of Thanos. That was it. He should never have seen anything about me.

    ¡°You showed me a great many things you did not intend to, I think.¡±

    Well¡­ fuck. That was concerning. Just how much had Zemo seen, when I¡¯d drawn his consciousness into my mind?

    I sat down heavily on the sofa across from him. A tiny movement from Yelena made me realise she wasn¡¯t really keeping a lookout for any magically-appearing guards, but surreptitiously watching me instead. I sat quietly for what felt like a long time. Zemo simply sat there placidly, waiting for me to process what he¡¯d just said.

    Eventually, I exhaled sharply through my nose and shook my head, still not really sure what to do with that information. ¡°Huh.¡± I bit my lip and frowned. ¡°Do I need to kill you?¡±

    Zemo chuckled, leaning forward and threading his fingers together as he rested his elbows on his knees. ¡°If I thought you might try to kill me, I would have done something about it by now. Whatever I may or may not know, I am not a threat. Not to you, nor to anyone you care about. Now I am just a man¡ªa father, enjoying the time you gave him with the family you saved.¡±

    His confidence wasn¡¯t entirely misplaced, at least. If everything he¡¯d said was true, then I really didn¡¯t have any reason or desire to take any further action here¡­ If this was real, it was one of the better changes I¡¯d made to the timeline. I wasn¡¯t about to senselessly break apart a family I¡¯d saved. I stood back up and took a step toward him, raising a hand wreathed in red energy. ¡°I need to check. Make sure you¡¯re not hiding anything from me.¡±

    To his credit, he didn¡¯t flinch away at all as I moved my hand to the side of his head, my fingers hovering an inch from his temple as they twitched, sending small wisps of chaos magic into his mind. I brushed up against his thoughts, feeling through his intent, vigilant to any sign of deception.

    He wasn¡¯t lying. What he¡¯d seen had shaken him, made him reevaluate. But that feeling¡ªthe disquiet at what I¡¯d shown him¡ªwasn¡¯t what dominated his mind. Nor was it the feelings of love, the thoughts of his son, or his wife. The strongest thing that Zemo was feeling right now, overwhelming everything else¡­ was pity. He wasn¡¯t scared of me. Not even a little bit. He pitied me. I yanked my hand back like I¡¯d touched a hot stove, breaking the connection. I¡¯d intended to delve into his mind a bit deeper, to try to check over what he¡¯d actually seen, but suddenly I really didn¡¯t care to.

    The former military operative looked up at me, his deep brown eyes weighing me consideringly. ¡°I find people like you, like the Avengers, who can do the things you do, troubling. Your desire to use the uneven power you wield to change the world, to align it with the image you desire, cannot be separated from supremacist ideals.¡± He let out a small sigh. ¡°Knowing what is coming, the threats this world will shortly face¡­ It is unfortunate. If this were an ideal world, someone like you would not be needed. But it is not, and so you are. And I must pray for your success.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll try not to disappoint.¡± I didn¡¯t really know what else to say. I went quiet again for a moment. Yelena glanced toward me, a questioning look on her face, and I shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re done here.¡±

    She stepped away from the window, walking back over to join me as I gestured and channelled magic through my ring, a portal back to New York flaring up in the middle of the room. Zemo abruptly stood as well and Yelena¡¯s arms snapped back up, her gun levelled at his chest. I paused as well, the two of us looking at him askance. He met my gaze and we stood there for a long, quiet moment.

    After a bit, he gave me another small, tight smile and nodded. ¡°Ms Maximoff¡­ thank you. I am truly grateful.¡±

    ¡­Had anyone else ever said that to me? For literally anything I¡¯d done this time around? For anything meaningful? I didn¡¯t know how to respond. My face started to grow a little hotter and I turned away from him, stepping through the portal without another word.

    --

    My phone vibrated and I checked it to see¡ªas expected¡ªa text from Nat letting me know she was ready to be picked up. I got up from the couch, where Yelena and I had just binged six consecutive episodes of BoJack Horseman and were halfway through a seventh, and fumbled with my sling ring for a moment.

    I focused, channelling magic into the ring as I fixed Natasha¡¯s image in my mind¡¯s eye, a portal quickly spiralling into existence. Natasha was directly on the other side, dressed in a cute pencil skirt and matching blazer with a simple white blouse under it and carrying a slim leather business bag. She stepped through, shooting me a tired smile¡ªshe looked a bit over it all¡ªbut then almost immediately perked up, nostrils flaring.

    ¡°Oh, wow, that smells great,¡± she said, looking around. I dismissed the portal behind her as her eyes found the two cooling racks sitting on the kitchen counter. ¡°Did you bake?¡±

    I grinned and stepped into the kitchen, waiting for her next to the counter. ¡°Yep.¡±

    Natasha backed off toward the front door for a moment, returning a couple of moments later sans high heels and bag, to inspect my handiwork. Yelena stood up from the couch as well, pausing the TV and moving quietly over into the kitchen to stand with us, her back to the dining table. She was trying to be subtle about it, but she¡¯d been eyeing off the cookies since they¡¯d come out of the oven; I¡¯d told her she had to wait until Nat got here before she could have one.

    I reached over and plucked one of the cookies from the first batch; it had deformed in the oven a bit and had managed to form into a vague heart shape. ¡°Look, this one¡¯s a heart¡ªthat¡¯s how I feel about you!¡± I said, offering it to Natasha. Her smile was genuine as she took it from me, if a teensy bit pained by the cheesiness of what I¡¯d just said.

    Yelena was hovering nonchalantly, trying not to make it too obvious how keen she was to get past Nat and me to the racks of delicious baked treats. There was another misshapen cookie on the rack nearest to me, so I picked it up. ¡°This one¡¯s like¡­ Michigan?¡± I waved it toward Yelena. ¡°That¡¯s how I feel about you.¡±

    She blinked, her brow creased with confusion and suspicion, but accepted the cookie. ¡°What does that mean?!¡±

    ¡°These are really good,¡± Nat mumbled around a half-mouthful of cookie. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you baked.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t, really.¡± I did like cooking, but found baking pretty intimidating with how strict you generally had to be with sticking to measurements and exact recipes. Making the cookies had been a little stressful, but I¡¯d needed something to focus on that would take my mind off the earlier encounter with Zemo and, overall, I was pretty pleased with how they¡¯d turned out. ¡°It¡¯s Sam¡¯s birthday tomorrow¡ªI don¡¯t know if anyone has anything planned, so thought I¡¯d just drop these off at the compound in the morning before we leave. I wasn¡¯t confident enough to make a good cake.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it is too,¡± Nat said. ¡°I¡¯d forgotten. Steve¡¯s probably doing something, but I don¡¯t think Sam likes to make a big deal out of his birthday.¡±

    ¡°But he will like these cookies,¡± I said confidently and she nodded her agreement, reaching for another one. I gently smacked her hand away. ¡°You¡¯ll spoil your dinner, and these are for everyone,¡± I scolded her.

    Natasha made a noise of protest and gestured toward Yelena, who had sneakily retreated to the couch, a pair of stolen cookies clutched in her thieving hands. I hadn¡¯t even noticed her get past me to get at them. She shot me a triumphant, challenging look, as if daring me to do something about it.

    Looking decidedly unimpressed, I turned back to the tray. ¡°Fine, fine. One more; the rest are going away.¡±

    Nat happily pecked me on the cheek, took another cookie, then went to get changed out of her work clothes. I got out a Tupperware container and packed the rest away, then looked suspiciously over at Yelena, who had unpaused the TV without waiting for me. Her eyes flicked casually over to the container of cookies, then back to the TV. I flexed my fingers and red wisps of chaos magic boiled over the Tupperware, holding it shut as I tied off the magic and laid a linked battery enchantment on the lid. I heard a disappointed ¡®hmmph¡¯ from Yelena and allowed myself a small smile of satisfaction as I put the sealed container of cookies on the side of the dining table, ready for tomorrow.

 Chapter 74

    I carefully pulled at the threads of chaos magic binding the Tupperware container, undoing the enchantment I¡¯d left on it overnight, before glancing over toward Natasha. She was dressed in a simple black top and pair of dark skinny jeans, a chic red leather jacket over the top. I watched as she slipped on a pair of comfortable flats, my eyes tracing the curves of her body. I¡¯d originally assumed that her causal look¡ªthe effortless-looking, slightly-messy-yet-perfect hair and ¡®natural¡¯ makeup¡ªwas something that took an hour or more of careful work, but after showering she barely spent fifteen minutes getting ready. That was just¡­ how she looked. It made me feel a little bit self-conscious.

    I mean, intellectually I knew I was very attractive as well¡ªwith confidence and objectivity that literally no one else had, given my memories of my other life and how attractive I¡¯d found Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda¡ªbut it was funny how easy it was to fall back into old patterns of thinking. Even when I actually made a real effort and spent three or four times longer than her getting my own hair and makeup right, I still felt like I barely measured up. I suppose it¡¯s always easier to see your own flaws than it is to see other people¡¯s, especially when you¡¯re attracted to them.

    She looked over and saw me watching her. ¡°Ready to go?¡± she asked, smiling.

    ¡°Yep,¡± I confirmed, smiling back and gently shaking the container in my hands.

    Yelena, sitting at the dining table with a half-full mug of coffee, looked up from her phone, her attention caught by the noise. ¡°Where are you going, anyway? You¡¯re out all day?¡± she asked, eyeing the container full of cookies.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to stop by the compound and pick Pietro up, then we¡¯re taking a car and going on a long drive out to a town in New Jersey. Westview,¡± Nat told her.

    Yelena narrowed her eyes a little, giving us a suspicious look. ¡°Long drive? Why not just hop a portal if it¡¯s far?¡±

    Natasha glanced at me askance¡ªYelena only knew bits and pieces about whatever was going on with me, so she obviously didn¡¯t want to speak out of turn. I answered instead. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get a better understanding of what¡¯s up with my memories. Westview¡¯s important to me.¡± I sighed and shook my head. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t even know what we¡¯re looking for, exactly, but when I went there in my visions, I drove, and the drive there was¡­ emotional. Following in my footsteps as best we can might help knock something loose.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡± Yelena looked thoughtful for a moment, then pouted a little. ¡°So you¡¯re going on a family road trip with Nat and Pietro? And you didn¡¯t invite me?¡±

    I blinked, surprised. Off to the side, Nat looked slightly amused. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought you¡¯d be interested in coming,¡± I said.

    Yelena exhaled sharply through her nose, folding her arms defensively. ¡°You and Natasha, that¡¯s your problem. You don¡¯t think. Thoughtless, both of you. You say you want to get tattoos together but you don¡¯t even invite me along on your road trip of self-discovery.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Natasha interjected. It was her turn to sound surprised. ¡°What¡¯s this about tattoos, now?¡±

    I ignored her. ¡°Okay. Well. It¡¯s maybe a two-hour drive, each way. I don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be in town, and I don¡¯t really know what I¡¯m doing there. Did you want to come? Uh, lunch is on me.¡±

    Yelena¡¯s eyes predictably lit up at the offer of free food and she stood, draining the remainder of her coffee mug. ¡°I can be ready in ten minutes.¡±

    While Yelena went and got dressed, Natasha looked at me curiously. ¡°Tattoos?¡± she prompted.

    ¡°Just ideas at this point,¡± I said, waving a hand dismissively. I didn¡¯t really want to talk about it until I had a better idea of what I actually wanted. ¡°There are some things I thought it might be nice to memorialise. Wanda-3. Vision. My children. Even Eliza, kind of.¡±

    Nat¡¯s forehead creased as her expression turned sympathetic. She took a step closer to me, reaching over to gently take me by the hand, then pulled me into a hug. ¡°Ah. Well, if you need someone to come hold your hand¡­¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, enjoying the embrace for a few moments before I realised my nose was like, an inch away from Nat¡¯s ear. Keeping the container of cookies held carefully behind her back with one hand, my other one crept upward, darting in at the last moment to steady the back of her neck as I lunged in and stuck my nose in her ear, sniffing and snuffling furiously.

    Nat made a strangled noise that was half-laugh, half-shriek of alarm and immediately tried to pull away, vainly attempting to protect her ear by bringing her shoulder up. I was much stronger than her, though, and she was essentially helpless as I continued my assault, keeping her trapped against my body as I tickled her, snuffled at her ear and neck like a dog that had just caught an interesting scent.

    ¡°Wanda! No! Stop!¡± she pleaded between gasps of choked laughter. After a couple more good snorts, I relented and let her go. She immediately darted several steps backwards, looked at me with a betrayed expression on her face that was only somewhat undercut by the huge¡ªif involuntary¡ªsmile still on her face. ¡°Why?¡± she asked plaintively, her voice pained.

    ¡°You¡¯re too pretty,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m jealous; had to muss you up a little bit.¡±

    ¡°What is going on out here?¡± Yelena said as she emerged from the bathroom and padded back down the short hall toward us. ¡°I swear to God, I leave you two alone for two seconds¡­¡±

    Natasha shook her head and sighed, but she was still smiling as she reached up to fix her hair with a few quick touches. ¡°You are the actual worst sometimes, you know?¡±

    ¡°And yet¡­¡±

    She wagged her finger at me. ¡°Behave.¡±

    ¡°Never.¡±

    Yelena snorted. ¡°You couldn¡¯t make Wanda behave if you called in the Avengers, Wakanda and all of your sorcerer friends together. She¡¯s a lost cause.¡±

    I pointed at her with the container of cookies. ¡°Shh, you. Are you ready to go?¡±

    Once we¡¯d all confirmed we were ready to head off, I retrieved my sling ring from my pocket and spun up a portal. On the other side, the three of us stepped out near the path running along the river-side of the main central building at the upstate Avengers compound¡ªthe grassy spot had sort of become my standard arrival point whenever I came by. I¡¯d half-joked to Nat about asking Tony to install an empty doorframe in the living area that didn¡¯t lead anywhere, so I could portal there and it¡¯d almost be like I was living in the compound, but I was pretty sure something like that would be a bit too much of an implication or acknowledgement that I was actually part of the team.

    Heading inside, we walked up the stairs into the main common area to find Clint and Sam leaning over the breakfast bar, chatting amiably, each nursing a mug of coffee. Clint¡¯s prosthetic arm was missing. I¡¯d barely ever seen him actually armless, so it felt a little weird to see him without it, like he was lopsided. It was also a very visible, uncomfortable reminder of what Eliza had cost us. He¡¯d never seemed like he blamed me for it, but there had to be a little resentment hiding there, right? When a copy of me took his arm? I knew I was probably being paranoid and it wasn¡¯t actually my fault in any case, but it was still hard to shake the sudden feeling of guilt.

    ¡°Morning, guys!¡± I said, forcing a cheery fa?ade. ¡°Happy birthday, Sam!¡±

    Sam gave a slightly awkward smile. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Yelena, Natasha and I walked over to join them and I put the container of cookies down on the bar, popping it open and sliding it over in front of him with the same sort of dramatic flourish that a mobster might use to display a briefcase full of cash. ¡°I come bearing homemade cookies, to celebrate.¡±

    He let out a small, amused snort. ¡°Thanks. You didn¡¯t have to do anything.¡±

    ¡°Well, I mean, if you don¡¯t want them¡­¡± I started to slowly slide the container of cookies away from him.

    ¡°Now hold on, I didn¡¯t say that,¡± he protested, reaching over to stop the container from creeping any further away from him. I grinned at him and let go as he reached in and picked out a cookie. ¡°These look pretty good.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re really good,¡± Yelena said, darting in to help herself to two¡ªtwo! At once!¡ªas well.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Nat had her phone out, tapping at the screen, and I looked at her curiously. She noticed and held it up so I could see the screen. It was a group chat¡ªshe¡¯d dropped a pair of quick messages in:

    Wanda baked cookies for Sam¡¯s birthday, they¡¯re in the kitchen

    If anyone wants any, you¡¯d better hurry before Yelena inhales them all

    My own phone hadn¡¯t vibrated, so it wasn¡¯t part of the group chat I was in. I felt myself falter again, just a little bit. There was an Avengers¡¯ group chat that I wasn¡¯t a part of. I mean, of course there was¡ªit made sense¡ªsometimes you¡¯d need to communicate something just to the actual Avengers. I was feeling sore that I wasn¡¯t on the team, but I shouldn¡¯t feel bad about the fact that they had an internal group chat. Just before Natasha tucked her phone back away, however, I saw Helen Cho respond with an exclamation mark.

    Oh. It wasn¡¯t just Avengers. It must be everyone who was living in the compound. That was¡­ I mean, it still made sense, but it felt worse somehow. More like something I was being deliberately excluded from.

    Behind the counter, Clint reached down to the dishwasher¡ªthe door was cracked open, like it had finished a little while ago and someone had opened it to let the contents airdry. As I watched, he pulled it fully open, reached into the top rack, and took out his prosthetic vibranium arm.

    My brain short-circuited for a second, thoughts of being excluded from group chats banished by the bizarre sight. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but did you put your advanced cybernetics in the dishwasher?¡± I asked, a note of incredulity in my tone.

    He gave a one-armed shrug and reattached the prosthetic with a practiced motion. ¡°Shuri said it was safe. Easier than scrubbing it.¡±

    I looked around at the others. ¡°It¡¯s not just me who thinks that¡¯s a bit weird, though, right?¡±

    Yelena nodded, mumbling through a mouthful of cookie. ¡°You¡¯re right; it is weird.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not weird,¡± Natasha said firmly, eyes widening with an implicit threat as she looked between Yelena and I. ¡°It¡¯s convenient.¡±

    I felt a little chastened¡ªClint probably felt self-conscious enough about his arm as it is; he didn¡¯t need me to poke him about it. Before I could say anything else, though, there was a blur of motion and Pietro was suddenly next to me, already taking a bite from a cookie of his own. He nudged me with his shoulder, a happy expression on his face. ¡°Thank you for this gift of cookies.¡±

    ¡°My gift of cookies,¡± Sam noted firmly. ¡°For me.¡± He¡¯d finished one cookie and had started on a second.

    Okay. Conversation had moved on. It¡¯d be worse if I went back to apologise for being insensitive now. I could do it privately, later. Instead, I chuckled. ¡°Boys, boys, no need to squabble. There¡¯s plenty of my cookies for everyone.¡±

    ¡°Why did you say it like that? Now I don¡¯t want any,¡± Pietro said, a vaguely disgusted look crossing face. ¡°Ugh. It¡¯s too early to deal with you.¡±

    Yelena straightened up, gesturing emphatically toward him in agreement. ¡°Thank you! This is what I have been having to deal with, every day.¡±

    ¡°More for me, then. I¡¯m fine with eating your sister¡¯s cookies,¡± Sam said to Pietro lightly, grinning as his eyes flicked briefly over to me.

    I leaned toward him a little bit, resting an elbow on the bar as I tilted my head to one side and shot him a questioning look. ¡°Oh, are you now?¡±

    Natasha barked out a short, sharp laugh. ¡°Careful, Sam.¡±

    His eyes widened slightly, but his grin didn¡¯t fade and he shrugged. ¡°So what if I am?¡±

    Pietro grabbed my wrist and started pulling me away from the bar, toward the stairs. ¡°Alright! Such a shame, it¡¯s time to go! We¡¯re in a very big hurry, lots to do today.¡±

    I laughed and let him pull me away. Natasha and Yelena followed, each snagging a cookie for the road as they did so, Nat chuckling and saying goodbye to Sam and Clint.

    The four of us made our way down to the garage under the building, Natasha leading us over to a big, black luxury SUV. An Acura MDX, I thought¡ªsomething that a not-very-good-at-being-undercover SHIELD agent might drive. It looked pretty new, but I wondered briefly if it actually was an ex-SHIELD vehicle. Nat took out a key as we walked, pressing a button on the attached remote to unlock it as we got closer. I stepped toward the passenger seat and Yelena sniffed. ¡°Who says you get shotgun?¡±

    ¡°I need to be in front,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°The whole point of the road trip is to try to knock some memories loose, and it probably won¡¯t work as well if I¡¯m staring at the back of the seat the whole way. And Nat¡¯s driving.¡±

    ¡°I could drive,¡± Pietro suggested.

    ¡°No,¡± Nat and I said simultaneously, maybe a little too sharply.

    Pietro grumbled something I didn¡¯t quite catch. I went to open the door, but Nat reached over and touched my arm, drawing my attention. ¡°Hey,¡± she said quietly, a serious look on her face. ¡°Whatever we find in Westview¡ªif anything happens¡ªjust promise me you¡¯ll be safe, okay? No unnecessary risks. If it gets too heavy for you, we back off. Just¡­ be safe.¡±

    I smiled, then leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the lips. ¡°I will.¡±

    Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Yelena turn to Pietro and bat her eyelashes at him. ¡°Be safe,¡± she purred in a deliberately-loud faux-whisper.

    Pietro took her hand and dramatically put it to his chest. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be so safe.¡±

    ¡°Can you two not?¡± I said testily.

    Pietro, of course, took that as a challenge. He turned and swooned, guiding Yelena to catch him in her arms. ¡°You don¡¯t even know how safe I¡¯ll be,¡± he said breathlessly, looking up at her.

    I turned to face them more fully, wisps of chaos magic glimmered around my fingertips. ¡°That¡¯s it; killing you both.¡±

    Yelena gently pushed Pietro out of her grasp, giving a scandalised gasp. ¡°But how would that keep us safe?!¡±

    Nat sighed. ¡°Just get in the car. All of you.¡±

    We piled in, as directed, and once everyone was buckled in and ready to go, Nat started the engine and pulled out onto the driveway leading out of the compound. ¡°Ugh, Happy,¡± she muttered under her breath, sounding a little exasperated. She glanced over at me and rolled her eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll need to fill up on the way. Looks like Happy forgot again.¡±

    I peeked over at the fuel gauge¡ªit was sitting somewhere between a third and a quarter of a tank. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s not a big deal, is it?¡±

    ¡°Not a big deal, no, but this happens literally every time. This is why I usually just drive my own car.¡±

    ¡°Your car is pretty cool,¡± Pietro piped up from the back.

    Nat grinned and gave a little shrug. ¡°Yeah?¡± she said, faux-modestly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Gets me from A to B.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± I said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    I grimaced a little bit, playing up being unimpressed while trying not to vibrate in my seat. This was going to be good. ¡°Well, I just mean that¡¯s not very far.¡±

    Nat chuckled a little. ¡°From A to B?¡±

    Yelena scoffed, but I ignored her and continued to speak. ¡°Yeah, I mean, if we¡¯re using the alphabet to denote distance that¡¯s really as short as it gets, right? Like, I mean, if I had a car, I¡¯d want it to get to at least C, then I¡¯d want to know that I could get back to A again. Because if I started at A, then that¡¯s presumably where I live, right?¡±

    I peeked in the rearview mirror to gauge the reaction I was getting from my hostage audience. Pietro leaned heavily back against the headrest and sighed. ¡°Wanda¡­¡± he groaned.

    ¡°And I mean I¡¯d want to go on longer trips, as well,¡± I said, completely ignoring him, unable to keep the smile off my face. ¡°Like, I¡¯d want to go from A to C, back to A, then out to maybe R. And¡­¡±

    Natasha glanced sideways at me. She was smiling as well, and I was pretty sure she¡¯d already landed at the punchline. ¡°And?¡± she prompted.

    ¡°And then it would spell what it is.¡± I paused, waiting for the backseat to work that one out.

    Nat chuckled, but Yelena just let out an unimpressed, derisive snort. ¡°Was that a joke? Did she just tell a joke?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s hard to tell,¡± Pietro replied. I could see him in the mirror, stroking his chin thoughtfully like he was considering it. ¡°Sometimes I just laugh when she finishes talking and, if she wasn¡¯t making a joke, she¡¯s pleased because she thinks she made one by accident. Keeps her happy either way.¡±

    That got a small laugh out of Yelena.

    Oh, he was gonna be like that, was he? Well then, this meant war. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just getting warmed up,¡± I said, sounding far too pleased with myself. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go ahead and dub this road trip the 007 because we are gonna bond.¡±

    Yelena groaned. ¡°Ugh, actually no; I have changed my mind about coming and would like to leave.¡±

    Nat took a hand off the wheel and touched a control at her side. A firm cha-thunk let everyone know that all of the doors to the vehicle were now locked. She reached into her pocket, taking her phone out and unlocking it with a practiced, one-handed motion before tossing it onto my lap. ¡°Connect to the Bluetooth; I put together a playlist.¡±

    ¡°Oh, cool,¡± I said, a little surprised. A little part of me was always disappointed whenever I didn¡¯t get to be in charge of the music, but Nat had pretty good taste from what I¡¯d seen so far and it was cute that she¡¯d put together something specifically for the drive. I fumbled with her phone for a moment as I connected to the car¡¯s sound system and brought up the playlist¡ªit was right at the top, named ¡®Westview trip¡¯.

    As we headed toward the I-287, there was some temporary signage up on the side of the road. ¡°Roadworks ahead,¡± Natasha read it aloud absently under her breath.

    My eyes lit up. I couldn¡¯t believe this was actually happening. A true Vine moment! ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± I said loudly, struggling to sound nonchalant rather than vibrating with delight. ¡°I sure hope it does!¡±

    ¡°Is she going to be like this the entire drive?¡± Yelena asked, sounding both defeated and horrified.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d been living with her?¡± Pietro asked, letting out a small chuckle. ¡°How have you not had to put up with this?¡±

    ¡°Usually I can leave! I might die. This trip might actually kill me.¡±

    Sometime later, we¡¯d made it onto the interstate and I¡¯d run out of easy ways to annoy Pietro and Yelena. Both of them had taken out their phones and were engrossed with whatever they were looking at on them, while I just stared out the window at the passing scenery, listening to the playlist Natasha had put together for the trip. A 70s-ish rock ballad I hadn¡¯t heard before had been playing for a little while, and I noticed I¡¯d been moving my head unconsciously to the rhythm. I listened to it properly for a little bit. ¡°Nat? I like this.¡± I gestured to the display¡ªI could have read it myself, but I wanted to prompt Nat¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Who is it?¡±

    Nat tapped at the audio control on the steering wheel, turning the volume up a little bit. ¡°It¡¯s Lorna Wu. You haven¡¯t heard it before? This was her biggest hit. Down, down, down the road¡­¡± she sang along quietly for a moment as the song¡¯s chorus kicked in again, before glancing sideways at me, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. ¡°I thought it was an appropriate choice for the drive. You know, with the lyrics and all.¡±

    The bridge kicked in and I swayed my head from side to side a little bit. ¡°Huh. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever even heard of Lorna Wu before. She¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I like her, too,¡± Nat said, tapping the audio control again as the chorus came back for the final time. The chorus was catchy and easy to pick up, and both of us started to sing along as we continued down the I-287¡ªI was pretty sure I could hear Yelena in the back, too.

    ¡°Down, down, down the road; down the Witches¡¯ Road¡­¡±

 Chapter 75

    ¡°Follow me, my friend, to glory at the end¡­¡±

    The gathered coven of witches looked around at each other as they finished singing the Ballad, exchanging nervous glances as they waited for something to happen in response to their invocation. Agatha Harkness gave the little bell she was holding a final cheeky ¡®ding¡¯, the sound ringing out loudly in the sudden silence, and tried not to laugh at the slowly mounting concern and confusion. The silence dragged on for a few more seconds before she let an easy frown come to her face and looked around critically at the young women that had joined her this time around.

    Showtime!

    ¡°Huh,¡± she said, putting her hands on her hips sassily and eyeing the skinny teenager across from her suspiciously. ¡°Some feedback for you: It did not take this long last time.¡± A little colour rose in the girl¡¯s cheeks.

    It was a young group. Summer was the youngest, at seventeen, with Tracy and Gwen both being nineteen, leaving Carla as the eldest in her early twenties. Agatha actually generally preferred covens like this¡ªteenage girls packed full of hormones and daddy¡¯s disappointment were much easier to goad into attacking her than older, wiser witches. They just always had so much to prove.

    Carla looked at Agatha, her brow furrowed. ¡°Are you sure we did it right? We got all the harmonies right, the lyrics, everything?¡±

    ¡°We did everything right,¡± the older witch confirmed. ¡°I guess you guys just kinda sucked? I mean¡­¡± she grimaced, screwing up her nose like she¡¯d caught a whiff of something foul.

    Tracy shrugged and glared accusingly at Summer. ¡°You were a bit all over the place.¡±

    ¡°Hey! No, I wasn¡¯t.¡± Summer snapped, defensively.

    Agatha grimaced and held up a hand to faux-whisper behind it. ¡°Says the pitchy-ass soprano,¡± she said, rolling her eyes at Tracy.

    The teen took the bait, rounding on her. ¡°Pitchy?!¡±

    ¡°Bitch, you were sharp,¡± Agatha said, watching in barely-concealed glee as the jab hit home and Tracy¡¯s face contorted angrily. Ugh, such an easy target. Sopranos were always so sensitive. Accusing any soprano¡ªwitch or otherwise¡ªof being sharp would always make them want to murder you.

    The girls started to respond all at once, flinging barbs in every direction and talking over each other. Agatha tried not to smirk. ¡°Well, maybe Agatha just doesn¡¯t know what the hell she¡¯s talking about,¡± Gwen snapped, glaring at the older witch.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that only a true coven can open the Road,¡± Agatha clapped back instantly, pressing her tongue against the inside of her bottom lip in a childish, mocking gesture. ¡°Either you all can¡¯t hack it as witches, or maybe it¡¯s the pitchy soprano diva who¡¯s in love with the sound of her own voice.¡±

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t that pitchy!¡± Gwen protested, coming to her friend¡¯s defence.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®that¡¯ pitchy?!¡± Tracy scowled at her.

    ¡°Oh, of course you would defend her, as if you were any better¡ªyour voice was flatter than a pancake,¡± Agatha said to Gwen with a derisive snort. She made a show of eyeing the slender girl¡¯s figure, looking her up and down before gesturing with a hand for emphasis. ¡°Matches the rest of you, I suppose.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes widened with shock, face flushed red, and she started spluttering. ¡°Buh-whu-whu-what?¡± Agatha mocked her.

    ¡°H-hey! Leave her alone!¡± Summer stammered a little as she spoke.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t even get me started on you,¡± Agatha said, rounding on Summer, striking a mocking pose and pitching her voice higher, making herself sound as nasal and whiny as possible as she pretended to imitate the girl. ¡°Boohoo, my boyfriend cheated on me and then dumped me to be with the girl he cheated on me with even though I followed him around like a pathetic little puppy.¡± She scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. ¡°Guess he just needed a real woman instead of a little girl. You probably should have just killed yourself¡ªthat might have at least gotten his attention.¡± She gestured to the marks on the teen¡¯s wrists dismissively¡ªshe¡¯d taken note of them earlier as a potential vector to provoke her. ¡°But I guess you probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to do that right.¡±

    The teen flinched, reeling back like Agatha had slapped her across the face. Her eyes had reddened, her mouth open but unable to form words, her hands clenched into trembling fists.

    ¡°What the fuck, Agatha?!¡± Carla spat angrily. Her hands were held stiffly at her sides, but her fingers flexed and wisps of blue energy coalesced around the tips. ¡°You better shut the fuck up, or¡ª¡±

    Agatha cut her off, laughing in her face. ¡°Or what?¡± She gestured toward the witch¡¯s hands. ¡°You gonna blast me? With your pathetic amount of power? You couldn¡¯t blast your way out of a wet paper bag, you dumb slut.¡±

    Carla¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The fuck did you just say?¡±

    ¡°I said ¡®Are there any real witches in the house?¡¯ What a group of pathetic, useless rejects.¡±

    ¡°Just shut up!¡± Gwen snapped at her. ¡°This isn¡¯t our fault!¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re right, it¡¯s my fault. I was an idiot to think any of you were worth my time,¡± Agatha continued, her voice dripping with venom and disdain. ¡°You¡¯ve barely enough power to light a candle between the four of you¡ªmight as well not even be witches at all. You can forget the Witches¡¯ Road; I¡¯d die before letting you befoul it with your noxious mediocrity.¡±

    ¡°Go to hell, Agatha,¡± Tracy said between clenched teeth. Her voice was low, with a dangerous edge to it. She was right on the precipice, now. Next to her, Carla was almost vibrating with rage. Almost, almost. Just a tiny bit more.

    ¡°Make me!¡± Agatha over-enunciated, her face twisted in the most condescending sneer she could muster up.

    Carla broke first, lashing out with her hand and sending tendril of glowing blue spearing into Agatha¡¯s chest. It was just a slap¡ªa warning strike. Instead of hurting, however, the magic flowed into her and her own power latched on, sinking almost unnoticeable barbs into Carla¡¯s spell. Agatha deliberately staggered back half a step, acting as though it had hit home properly, and let out a mocking laugh. There was an art to this¡ªacting as though the younger witch¡¯s power had stung her and that she was just pretending it didn¡¯t, luring her to continue pouring power into the attack to stop her from realising she was no longer able to stop. Just like almost every other witch before her, Carla was oblivious to the danger, too focused on proving herself as she redoubled her effort, sending a pulse down the wispy beam of magic connecting them.

    Tracy added her power to Carla¡¯s a heartbeat later, and Summer a moment after that. Gwen however, didn¡¯t join her magic to theirs, instead taking a step back, tears running down her cheeks. ¡°Pathetic little bitches!¡± Agatha screamed at Gwen, trying to goad her into joining the assault, as she staggered back another step, hunching her body as though she was in pain.

    It was too little, too late, though. Tracy tried to pull back and Agatha¡¯s magic flared, an aura of purple, edged in black, flickering around her and sending a pulse of purple back into each of the other witches through the magical conduits connecting them. Tracy staggered forward a step, trembling with effort as she tried and failed to force her arm down. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± she gasped, a sharp edge of sudden fear entering her voice.

    Once they realised that something was wrong, Carla and Summer tried to break the connection as well and found themselves similarly stuck, their power being wrenched out of them at an alarming rate. Their faces twisted in terror. ¡°Agatha! Stop! Please,¡± Carla begged, tears welling up in her eyes even as her face started to shrivel and hollow, her life force draining away. Next to her, Summer shrieked, scrabbling and clawing at her upraised arm with her free hand as though trying to rip it off.

    It was impossible for them to escape. They had a decent little chunk of power between them, but even the strongest magic-users Agatha had ever faced had been utterly helpless in the face of her ability. The Darkhold also held a ritual that would allow one to steal the power of another, of course, but it required setup and preparation; it couldn¡¯t be done off the cuff like this. As far as Agatha was aware, the specific way in which her power latched onto someone who lashed out at her was unique to her.

    As the other three screamed and pleaded with Agatha, Gwen stumbled backwards, falling on her ass. She froze, her eyes wide as saucers, seemingly unable or unwilling to do anything but watch as the rest of the coven shrivelled and collapsed around her. Agatha continued to hold on tightly to the girls¡¯ magic, drawing it into her until every last drop had been drained. The last wisps of power fled the three fresh corpses as they lay unmoving on the floor and Agatha¡¯s shoulders shuddered, a pleasurable shiver running through her body.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Gwen gasped, a mixture of fear and horror in her voice and warring across her features.

    Agatha sighed happily, flexing her fingers as she savoured the heady rush of power, then made a few quick gestures, her purple flaring up as threads of magic came together to weave knots around the last living coven member¡¯s hands and feet. The girl shrieked, vainly struggling against the bindings as she was yanked roughly several feet into the air, hovering in front of Agatha.

    This wasn¡¯t that unusual. Over the centuries, Agatha had made a fine art out of goading people into lashing out at her, but every so often she¡¯d run into a witch who couldn¡¯t be provoked into even the smallest warning blast. There¡¯d even be the occasional witch who¡¯d rather swing a fist than attack with magic.

    ¡°You know,¡± she said conversationally. ¡°You really should have just blasted me, too. It would have worked out better for the both of us. I would have gotten your magic and not had to waste more of my time, and you¡­¡±

    ¡°I what?¡± the terrified-looking girl managed to choke out, tears running down her cheeks. ¡°You killed them¡­ they were screaming¡­¡±

    Agatha smirked, questing tendrils of purple crawling up the helpless teen¡¯s body. ¡°I mean, yeah, it wouldn¡¯t have been fun for you. But now?¡± Purple magic flickered in her pupils. ¡°Now I have to get creative.¡±

    Half an hour later, Agatha walked down the worn stone steps to her underground lair, softly humming the Ballad to herself as she wiped the last of the teenager¡¯s blood off her hands with a damp cloth. It really did feel great to be in control again¡ªonce again free to do whatever she pleased, as the mood took her. Now, what was next? Ah, yes. She looked over at the page of the Book of Cagliostro, still hanging suspended in a web of minor energies between two cracked and pitted stone pillars.

    As she did, Se?or Scratchy emerged from his hiding place, hopping over toward her feet before gently headbutting her ankle. Agatha tossed the bloody cloth away to one side and the rabbit started to move excitedly toward it, but she quickly reached down and scooped him up instead. Cradling him gently in her arms, she scratched under his chin with her long nails. He leaned into it, but she could tell he was still eyeing off the discarded cloth. ¡°Alright, little man,¡± she murmured. ¡°That¡¯s enough playing around for now. Time for mommy to get to work.¡±

    --

    Once we reached the outskirts of Westview¡ªjust before heading into suburbia proper¡ªI pointed out a gas station and insisted we stop so Natasha could fill up the tank. A lead weight had settled in my stomach when we¡¯d crossed over into New Jersey. As we¡¯d gotten closer and closer to Westview, this whole thing had stopped feeling like a fun road trip where I could tease Pietro and Yelena and more like a slow march to the executioner¡¯s block. I¡¯d hoped I could just ignore the anxiety gnawing at my insides, but part of me really didn¡¯t want to do this and was looking for any reason to delay our arrival.

    We all got out. Pietro and Yelena wandered inside on a quest for snacks while I just leaned against the side of the SUV, staring at nothing in particular as Natasha worked the pump. Once she was done, she reached over, touching my arm to get my attention. ¡°Hey,¡± she said gently, shooting me a sympathetic look. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really nervous,¡± I confessed, putting my arms around myself. ¡°Westview is¡­ scary, with everything that happened there in my visions. I just don¡¯t know what to expect. If I really did get some memories from that version of myself¡­ I have no idea what might happen. Should I even expect anything? What if nothing happens? Would nothing be worse or better than something?¡±

    Nat stepped closer and carefully pulled me into a hug. I nestled my face comfortably into her shoulder, but didn¡¯t otherwise react. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said firmly. ¡°We¡¯re all here for you. Whatever happens, you won¡¯t have to deal with it by yourself. We¡¯re doing this together.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I just¡­ so much has changed. My visions aren¡¯t any help here. I¡¯d gotten so used to knowing the future. Knowing what will happen¡ªor what would happen, at least. We¡¯re going so far off the map here and I just¡­ I really miss knowing how things were going to turn out.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll just have to learn to take things as they come, like the rest of us ordinary humans do.¡± Pulling away from the embrace, Natasha let out a soft snort of amusement and lifted her chin to gesture behind me. ¡°Then again, if you want to know the future¡­¡± she said, trailing off leadingly.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    I turned and looked. Across the road, wedged between a nail salon and a pool supply store, was a bright blue and yellow fa?ade hung with colourful bunting and a neon sign in the window¡ªlit, but weak in the clear morning sunlight¡ªadvertising ¡®Madam Calderu¡¯s Psychic Readings¡¯, with ¡®Tarot, Palm Readings, Crystal Ball¡¯ under it in smaller lettering. A row of well cared for potted plants lined the edge of the sidewalk under the windows.

    There was something about it that actually seemed kind of enticing, for some reason, even beyond the urge to do everything in my power to delay our arrival at Westview. Back in my other, non-Wanda life I¡¯d had a friend who¡¯d been super into Tarot cards, even if they hadn¡¯t ever really sparked my own interest. My eyes searched the glass windows for a moment, taking in the stars and crystal balls and magical eye sigils covering them, then I grinned and glanced back at Nat. ¡°Actually¡­ I mean, it could be fun?¡±

    She raised an eyebrow, an amused expression on her face. ¡°Could be fun,¡± she echoed, then nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll just pay for the gas and we can take a peek, if you like?¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    Once everything had been sorted at the gas station, Nat parked the car and we headed over toward the shop. It was just the two of us¡ªPietro and Yelena had both begged off, neither of them particularly interested in the kitschy-looking fortune teller. There were a few other shops and bits around the place for them to investigate instead, and we agreed to meet back at the car in a little while.

    The moment we stepped inside, heralded by the soft chiming of a bell attached to the door, the air changed¡ªthick, sweet, and stifling with the mingled scents of incense, wax, and something faintly metallic, like old coins. Everywhere you looked, the space was filled with stuff. Diaphanous draperies and curtains of beads, small bells and coloured glass that softly tinkled in the breeze before the door closed, shelves packed with crystals, oddly-shaped jars and bottles, and other assorted trinkets. More potted plants. Another small neon sign attached to the wall¡ªa cursive, flourished ¡®Psychic¡¯ with PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE in bold caps underneath it. The thing that drew my eye the most, of course, was the almost-disconcertingly-unsafe number of lit candles throughout the store, packed onto shelves or sitting in holders both free-standing and attached to the wall.

    There was a quiet clicking noise as an older woman brushed aside a beaded curtain hanging across a doorway at the back of the store, stepping through to the main space. ¡°Welcome to the curious,¡± she¡ªMadam Calderu, I presumed¡ªgreeted us, a little grandiosely. She had a dark shawl, threaded with astrological patterns, over her shoulders and chunky, gaudy jewellery adorned her ears, fingers, and neck. Her permed hair was mostly brown, with a few lighter grey curls framing her face.

    Her face.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Natasha replied, but I did a sudden double-take, my eyes wide, and just stared at the woman silently for a few seconds. Nat noticed my reaction, glancing at me curiously. ¡°Wanda?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I hesitated, trying to decide if I was seeing things. I squinted at Madam Calderu for a moment, tilting my head. Yeah, no. Definitely. There was no doubt about it.

    Since I¡¯d woken up in the HYDRA research base, I¡¯d met a host of heroes, villains and other people¡­ all essentially recognisable as the characters I¡¯d seen in movies and TV shows in my memories from another life in another world. This, however, was the very first time I¡¯d encountered someone who I was pretty sure I recognised as an actress from my memories that wasn¡¯t an existing character I knew from the MCU.

    Standing in front of us, a faintly curious expression on her face, was musical theatre legend, TV and film actress Patti LuPone. It was definitely her. I was sure it was her.

    I shot her a strained smile. ¡°Can you excuse us for just one quick second?¡± I asked, not waiting for a response as I grabbed Natasha by the arm and pulled her back to stand just in front of the door, turning to face away from Madam Calderu. ¡°Nat, if I say ¡®musical theatre legend, TV and film actress Patti LuPone¡¯ to you, you know who I¡¯m talking about, right?¡± I asked quietly, a note of urgency in my tone.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Nat said immediately, then frowned and gave me a confused look. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Okay. She knew the name, but she didn¡¯t recognise the woman standing ten feet away from us. I fumbled in my pocket for a moment, pulling out my phone and bringing up the internet browser, tapping furiously. ¡°Ugh. Stop showing me sex ads, Google. I know there are desperate sluts in my area; I have a mirror,¡± I muttered as I brought up an image search of Patti LuPone.

    She looked different than I remembered. Like¡­ not significantly different, I supposed¡ªshe still had the same general feel about her, still had similarly strong Italian features¡ªbut different enough that Madam Calderu and Patti LuPone were clearly different people.

    ¡°Wanda? What are you¡­?¡± Nat touched my shoulder and I looked back up at her.

    Why had I never even thought to check something like this before? ¡°What about Scarlett Johansson?¡± I asked, memories tickling the back of my mind. It felt weird, but I had two contradictory images in my head when I thought about Scarlett Johansson, the actress. One looked exactly like Natasha, standing right in front of me. The other¡­

    ¡°What about her? Why are you asking about actresses?¡±

    I Googled Scarlett Johansson and inhaled sharply, eyes widening a little. There were definitely some similarities, but the Scarlett I was looking at on my phone had a distinctly Asian cast to her appearance. I tapped through¡ªshe was half-Japanese. ¡°What the fuck?¡± I muttered to myself. Well, that at least made a certain casting choice less problematic in this world.

    I kept tapping. Every actor I checked was the same. The exact level of difference varied significantly¡ªwith Asian-American Scarlett Johansson being the most notable outlier and Samuel L Jackson being probably the closest to what actual Nick Fury looked like¡ªbut none of the versions from this world looked exactly the same as the ones in my memories from another world. It made a certain kind of sense, I supposed, but something about it just felt¡­ weird. I didn¡¯t know what it meant.

    Okay. I turned my head a little to look over at Madam Calderu, who was watching me with a curious crease to her brow. This could be a coincidence. Maybe everyone in the world from my memories had an equivalent visual doppelganger in this world. There could just happen to be someone in this world who looked exactly like my mental image of Patti LuPone. It might not mean anything at all.

    Then again, narrative tropes and extreme coincidences, rhyming timelines¡­ could I afford to assume something like this meant nothing? Was this going to be significant, somehow? I¡¯d come in here intending on asking for a Tarot reading just for fun, and it suddenly didn¡¯t feel like ¡®just for fun¡¯ anymore.

    ¡°Wanda? Talk to me,¡± Nat prompted me again. She sounded a little worried.

    I¡¯d originally been careful to avoid any hints as to how my ¡®visions¡¯ of this world had really worked, because they¡¯d have sounded insane. Now, though, after everything? I could probably come clean to Natasha about it all. She¡¯d believe me, and Nat¡ªof all people¡ªmight be the most understanding about why I¡¯d been lying to everyone about everything the entire time I¡¯d been here. It¡¯d change things, though. How she saw me. How she thought I saw her. I might tell her, but it couldn¡¯t be right here, right now. I needed to think about it properly; not make a snap, on-the-spot decision.

    ¡°Not here. It¡¯s not important right this instant,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°I just thought of something relating to my other memories. I need to¡­ process it a bit.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay. Did you recognise her? Is that it?¡± she asked, tilting her head fractionally toward the psychic.

    I shook my head. ¡°No. Um. Maybe?¡±

    Nat didn¡¯t look completely convinced, but she knew me well enough not to try to press me on it.

    I took a deep breath and turned back toward Madam Calderu, stepping forward and smiling brightly. ¡°Good morning. Sorry about that. Uh, you do Tarot readings?¡±

    She smiled back and inclined her head, thankfully choosing to ignore my vaguely bizarre behaviour. She probably got all sorts in here. ¡°Please,¡± she said simply, gesturing to a table and chairs set to one side and moving to sit down. The tabletop was covered by a cloth printed with a complex, black-and-white design of interwoven spiritual and pagan symbology, the adjacent chairs narrow, with intricately twisted wicker frames, but comfortably padded. ¡°What kind of reading are you looking for? If you want a reading from the cards, first you must have a question,¡± she said as we sat down across from her. ¡°Specific but open-ended is best, rather than a simple yes or no.¡±

    I hesitated for a moment. Should I ask about what to expect in Westview, or was that too narrow? I was suddenly very nervous about asking the wrong question. If this reading turned out to be important, somehow¡­ but I mean, it was still just a Tarot reading. Tarot was just woo, like astrology and palm-reading and stuff; it wasn¡¯t real, not even here¡­ right? Oh, God. I licked my lips nervously, pausing for a moment to think it through. ¡°I want to know how can I make things better, this time,¡± I said finally.

    ¡°This time?¡± Madam Calderu prompted me, tilting her head to one side, her eyes boring into mine.

    I scratched at my forearm, feeling nervous. I really wasn¡¯t intending on explaining my exact circumstances to a random stranger, but it might be worth noting how important the question was¡ªand not just to me. ¡°There are a lot of choices that I have to make,¡± I said after a moment¡¯s consideration, looking over at Natasha. She looked a little taken off-guard by the way I was acting. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know if you recognise us, but my girlfriend here is one of the Avengers. I work with them as well. The things I do can impact the entire world.¡±

    There was a flicker of recognition in the psychic¡¯s eyes as she glanced briefly at Nat again. ¡°I see¡­¡± she said, pausing for a moment as if weighing options before speaking again. ¡°The Safe Passage spread would be the best fit, then. I can offer a surface-level reading for fifty dollars, or a detailed one¡ªup to an hour¡ªfor a hundred. How will you be paying?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll do a detailed one, please.¡± I fumbled for a moment before taking out my card, looking over at Natasha. ¡°Can you text Pietro and Yelena and let them know how long we¡¯ll be?¡±

    Nat nodded, still looking a bit concerned as she took out her phone and started tapping at the screen. Across the table, Madam Calderu produced a small card scanner from under the table, sliding it over. ¡°Debit works,¡± she noted. I dutifully paid and passed the scanner back, and she smiled again. ¡°Thank you. Your bank statement will say ¡®Lilia¡¯s Leggings¡¯, but that¡¯s just my side hustle. Now¡­¡±

    Lilia Calderu, then, if the surname wasn¡¯t just part of the stage name. I took note of it, though I didn¡¯t recognise the name at all. The scanner disappeared back from whence it came and was quickly replaced with a deck of cards, wrapped in a gauzy red cloth. They were proper, large Tarot-sized ones, significantly bigger than playing cards. The psychic unwrapped them carefully, bundling the cloth off to the side before she placed the deck firmly in the centre of the table.

    She gestured toward me. ¡°As querent, you will shuffle and cut the cards. While you¡¯re shuffling, concentrate on your question¡ªfeel the energy of it imbue the cards. You will feel a subtle moment, an instant when the energy changes and the cards are ready. Stop when you feel it.¡±

    I reached over to pick up the deck but, as I lifted it, I almost lost my grip and had to grab it with both hands to stop the cards from spilling everywhere across the table. Two, however, practically leapt out of the deck¡ªlike they were fleeing from my hand¡ªand landed face-up on the table between us, one on top of the other. Weirdly, it felt less like my fingers had slipped and more like the cards had actually moved.

    ¡°Ugh, sorry,¡± I said, a little embarrassed, and went to grab them. Madam Calderu¡¯s hand darted across the table, fingers firmly touching the back of my hand to stop me from returning them to the deck. I hesitated, looking up at her.

    The psychic was staring intently at the fallen cards. ¡°When cards fall out while the deck is being shuffled there is always a significance to it,¡± she said slowly, a concerned frown creasing her brow. ¡°Something important that is being communicated, relating to your question.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I looked blankly down at the two cards. The World under The Tower. Madam Calderu was quiet for a few moments, staring thoughtfully at the two cards. ¡°So¡­ what do they mean?¡± I prompted her.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not always a simple question,¡± the psychic said, looking back up at me and giving a small shrug. There was something hard to place in her expression. ¡°Interpreting Tarot is an art, not a science. Many elements can influence a reading and all of the cards have both positive and negative associations. Symbolism, numerology, colour theory, even where they appear in the spread and what other cards they¡¯re presented alongside. The artwork is very important as well; the cards don¡¯t look the way they do for no reason. Finally¡ªsome would say even most importantly¡ªthere¡¯s an element of personal intuition. Reading Tarot isn¡¯t about following a guidebook.¡±

    Next to me, Nat shifted in her chair, leaning back and folding her arms. I glanced at her and she raised a sceptical eyebrow.

    Madam Calderu slid the two cards into the centre of the table, moving the topmost one until only the very edge of its corner still covered the one underneath¡ªallowing us to see both cards properly while still maintaining their positioning, with one beneath the other.

    ¡°The World is¡­ well, the world. The sum total of all things. It¡¯s all-encompassing. It can mean completion, the end of a cycle and the beginning of another,¡± the psychic explained as I looked at the card she was describing. A nude woman, encircled by a ring or laurel wreath, with clouds and animal faces surrounding it.

    ¡°And The Tower?¡± I asked. The art on that one was significantly more ominous¡ªa burning tower, struck by a bolt of red lightning, a pair of people falling to their deaths.

    ¡°Sudden change. Upheaval. Catastrophe sweeping away all you thought was strong and stable. The tower is destruction, but its fall can make way for something new.¡± Madam Calderu¡¯s hands lingered above the cards for a moment before she placed them on the tablecloth, palms down. ¡°For someone else, I might say that this contextualises their question into one with severe consequences. Something that could potentially be a complete upheaval of their entire life, massively destabilising, something¡­ world-shattering. For someone in your position¡­¡± She hesitated.

    ¡°World-shattering,¡± I repeated quietly, feeling a tight knot of apprehension forming in my stomach. Under the table, my hands clenched into fists.

    The psychic let out an uncomfortable sigh and looked away, fidgeting slightly with one of her oversized rings. It reminded me rather unpleasantly of the way Jessica had looked, the last time I¡¯d seen her. ¡°Perhaps,¡± she hedged, but she didn¡¯t sound very convincing. ¡°There are many possible interpretations.¡±

    ¡°Well, the reading¡¯s off to a great start, and we haven¡¯t even actually started yet,¡± I joked, a bitter note leaking into my tone.

    Natasha glanced at me, a crease of concern marred her forehead. When we¡¯d come in here, it had been for just a little bit of fun¡ªshe didn¡¯t understand why I was suddenly taking it so seriously and it was worrying her. ¡°Confirmation bias, cold reading, apophenia,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s not real. You don¡¯t need to worry about this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I¡¯m not sure, but there¡¯s some stuff¡­¡± I stumbled over my words, feeling a little self-conscious and unsure what exactly I should say. After a moment, I let out a heavy sigh and shot her a pleading look. ¡°Look, for now, can we please take this seriously?¡±

    Nat stared at me a moment, then nodded and leaned forward again, reaching over to squeeze my arm reassuringly. ¡°Okay, well.¡± She turned her attention back to the cards, frowning briefly, then gestured with a hand. ¡°She said The World was the sum of everything, and also about cycles, right? And there¡¯s a woman in the centre, with a ring around her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    She reached over and pointed to the woman on the card, then traced the ring around her. ¡°You. Your visions.¡± Her hand moved over to indicate The Tower. ¡°Forget about destruction. This is about change, right? Followed by something new. You swept away the old, and it¡¯s time for the new.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± I said, the knot in my belly loosening slightly. ¡°You think this is just¡­ what? Confirming what I meant when I asked the question?¡± It was a much nicer interpretation than Madam Calderu¡¯s, but something about it just didn¡¯t ring true to me. I really didn¡¯t like the destructive connotations of The Tower being there¡ªit made me think about the prophesied destiny of the Scarlet Witch. But it was still nice that Nat was willing to at least entertain this. I shot her a grateful smile, leaning over to nudge her with my shoulder.

    Madam Calderu gave Natasha an appraising look before turning back to me. ¡°That¡¯s certainly possible. There are other interpretations, of course¡ªwe could more literally link the burning tower with the attack that happened in New York that levelled Avengers¡¯ Tower, for instance. The reading proper will provide more context.¡± She paused. ¡°You mentioned visions?¡± she asked, a note of naked curiosity in her tone.

    I held up a hand. ¡°Sorry, we can¡¯t really talk about that. National security. Or, er, global security, rather.¡±

    The psychic nodded slowly. ¡°Alright. Well. Shall we move on? Leave those two aside and shuffle the rest.¡±

    I nodded and shuffled the cards, as directed. I wasn¡¯t the worst shuffler, but the larger size of the Tarot cards made it a little bit more awkward, and I fumbled them a little bit. Part of me was worried more cards would tumble out but, then again, what could I possibly pull out that was worse than something that might mean my choices could destroy the world?