Avengers: A Darker Shade of Scarlet

Now Here I Go Again, I See the Crystal Vision

Thor sat in silence inside the Quinjet, his focus on the sharp edge of Stormbreaker. He stared at it and contemplated driving it through Wanda's neck. His first encounter with the girl, she'd attacked his mind. That alone would be enough to give him cause to be wary of her. But she'd also attacked Dean, which only served to make Thor view her as a dangerous threat. Then, after coming to an understanding and forging a tenuous alliance, Wanda had become a full-fledged Avenger. Thor had remained somewhat mistrustful of her, but it was Dean's empathy and capacity for giving second chances that ultimately swayed him. Besides, as time went by, he watched as Wanda became one of Dean's very best friends. A sister, even.

But now? Now Wanda had not only returned to square one in Thor's mind- she had descended far beneath it.

"You look like a man in need of an ear to talk to," Bruce said with a cheerful smile. He moved over to Thor and took a seat before him.

Thor kept his eyes on the ax. "Dean is strong, courageous and clever. But he is also soft, tender, and sensitive. These are some of my favorite parts about him. But there are those who would take advantage of these parts of him. It is my job to protect him from these people."

"Thor...I hope you don't think you failed Dean. I want you to banish that idea from your head."

"I am afraid for Dean," Thor went on. "Because his kindness and belief in the goodness of Wanda has placed him in danger. But I am also angry with him. Angry that he would jeopardize our family to try and appeal to a person who has already proven that she has truly become lost to darkness."

Bruce fought the impulse to tell Thor that Dean's belief in Wanda and his need to help her was not so different from Thor's relationship with Loki. Besides, weren't many of the Avengers thought to be lost to darkness at one time or another? But Thor wasn't in a place to hear those words. "I get that," Bruce said instead. "I understand why you're angry."

"And not just for myself; I am angry for our sons." Thor looked into Bruce's eyes. "Do they mean so little to him?"

Bruce cleared his throat and tried to find the right words. "You know better than that, Thor. Dean loves the boys."

"That is what makes this so hard to understand."

"Don't be too hard on Dean. He only did what he thought was the right thing."

"The right thing would be for him to stand with his husband and his children," Thor affirmed.

The Quinjet's AI announced that they were approaching their destination.

"Well," Bruce said, standing up. "Hopefully Steve's lead pans out and we get some answers."

The Quinjet landed and Thor was out of his chair and approaching that ramp before it could even lower itself. Stepping out, he was barely aware of the well-manicures lawns and children that had stopped playing and gathered in a group to watch the Avengers as they approached.

"So, this Professor Xavier has a way to locate people?" Tony said as he walked alongside Steve.

"Kyle told me about it once," Steve explained as he waved at the kids and tried to focus on anything but the gnawing worry in his chest. "It's a machine called Cerebro."

Tony refrained from asking technical questions- both because he knew this wasn't Steve's forte and because, for once, he didn't want to annoy him.

"If Heimdall were living, he could locate all of them- and send us to them," Thor said. Old pain at the loss of his friend hit him, compounding his already stormy mood.

They approached the front entrance to the mansion that served as the school and the doors promptly opened. Professor Xavier appeared, his wheelchair being pushed by Ororo Munroe.