The Invisible Coder (Natasha x OC)

Chapter 19- Wanda fixes me

"I don't have nightmares about being almost killed as a child as often as she has nightmares about these things," Ava admitted. "I agree with Clint, something's not right,"

"I think it's because he warped her twice," Thor interjected. "She was under control, twice, both for quite a bit of time. As I said before, the mind stone could be the ultimate destruction of everything. I am not surprised that it has taken a serious toll on her mental stability,"

Tony sighed. "What do you plan to do to her?" 

I realized that he was talking to Wanda.

"I will only help her ease into it. Calm her anxiety. It will help her focus and will reduce the nightmares. She will not hallucinate... however... I cannot get rid of the permanent trauma it has given her," Wanda explained.

"So she'll still have PTSD?" Steve asked.

"I don't- I don't-" I protested, but the look on everyone's face showed a very clear message: Yes, you do.

"Unfortunately, yes," Wanda informed him. "Though I can ease her fear,"

"How do we know that you aren't going to hurt her?" Clint said quietly. 

The group went silent. 

"Can't we trust them, now that-" Steve began, but Bruce cut him off.

"Clint is right, that woman warped our brains. How do we know she's not trying to sabotage us?"

"Are we really going to have this argument again?" Steve demanded. 

"If we have to, the life of our teammate is on the line," Clint replied, his voice rising with his fueling irritation.

"We're all just trying to make the best call, here-" Ava argued.

"And how do we know that nobody here is mind controlled?" Tony protested. 

"Come on, you really think-" Pietro started to join the fight, but Clint stopped him.

"Don't even get me started with you," 

"What about Pietro?!" Wanda demanded. "When did he come into this?!"

"When you two nearly killed us!" Bruce exclaimed.

Tony cut in. "We can't trust you, and even if you can fix her head, we're not gonna-"

"Do it,"

Everyone stopped and stared at me.

"Just do it," I repeated. 

"Kid..." Tony started to object, but I stopped him.

"Just do it, Wanda. Please. I don't want to keep reliving the trauma. I'm ready to get over it,"

Everyone turned to study Wanda, who slowly stood from her seat and cautiously approaching me.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes," I answered.

She ignited her fingers with her scarlet light, waving them around a bit. I felt the room's tension levels rise.

Slowly, she inched her fingers towards my forehead, studying me the entire time. Her gaze was locked on mine. She paused about a centimeter away from my forehead.

"When I do this," she said, her voice quivering, "It will show you everything, all at once. Are you ready for that?"

I didn't give her question a moment's thought before answering, "Yes,"

She let out a deep breath, then pressed her first two fingers to my forehead.

The world became overwhelmed with a bloodred color, and suddenly, it was like watching a movie in first person- I watched everything, from the second the scepter touched my chest to the second I was hit by a car, then the second I was knocked out to the second I hit my head again. Everything was so... weird, so unnatural, yet still, I had to accept it-

That was me. 

I did those things. 

I have to make it right, and I can't do that by denying myself. 

Maybe they were right... maybe I do have post-traumatic stress disorder.

Well, it's less of a "maybe". They were right, I do have a stress disorder. I do get worked up over seeing the scepter and I do have terrible nightmares.

That doesn't have to define me.

It never will.

My name is Bryce Russell-Stark, and I am no longer afraid of my past. 

The only thing I should be afraid of is getting demolished by Ultron, and that wasn't happening.

Not today.

When I opened my eyes again, the world seemed so much more crisp, so much clearer than before. I almost felt as though I had been looking through a lens my whole life.

Perhaps I had.

"How do you feel?" Tony asked cautiously.

I examined myself- I didn't look any different. I didn't feel any different. What had really changed about me?

My mind, I realized. I'm not afraid anymore. I'm not scared anymore. I can do this.

I turned to Tony, a small smirk crossing my face. "Ready to kick some Ultron arse,"