Red (Scarlet Witch)

The Bed

"Eet is jest a game," Wanda said softly.

Pietro's twin stayed in their doorway until sitting on her small bed once she entered the tiny, bare room. Her legs swung to-and-fro when she stared at her brother who was sulking across from her; his dirty fingers clenched with his waves of irritated thoughts crashing around his head. Wanda stared sadly at him, and saw his hair take fire from the light again because of the window in front of the two.

Their own window was also soaked in the wonderful source the the kitchen possessed, but it seemed to be playing tricks on Wanda's eyes.

One might look out and think it was a nice day, but Wanda knew a great deal about Sokovia weather. It was tricky— because that day was a cold and harsh day. People were barely about, most in work, but those out of jobs were in their homes; shivering off the cold.

Sometimes, such as those days in the winter, it would become so cold the twins would have to curl up next to each other and sleep while shivering endlessly into the night. That very night, Wanda expected, would be one of those cold afternoons.

Pietro responded to her comment after a few minutes of silent thinking. Wanda was grateful for the distraction, because she knew things were bad if she was thinking about the weather in descriptive detail.

Pietro said, "Yeah, vut you always vin hide-and-seek. It is not simply just a game anymore... It is a competition you always win. I am growing tired of it," He sighed and collapsed on his poor-state of a bed.

Wanda rolled her eyes at him. She couldn't keep up with all of his emotions. He was like a time bomb, ready to explode at any given moment. Girls were confusing? Try a twin brother with the emotional range of a tea-spoon.

"Then vhat do you vant to do? Cards?" She asked this, trying to make the day fun for both of them. Even then, he shook his head. Wanda pouted, he was being awfully difficult.

Pietro said, "No more cards. We've vorn zem out anyway." He paused, thinking of a game that could possibly work, and then let his usual grin take place on his face. At least Wanda had accomplished even that.

"Vhat about tag?"

Wanda groaned. She face palmed and let her long brown hair fall down like a curtain around her face. She wasn't fond of tag. Her stick legs were always trying to bring her down— literally. Her mother almost had banned her from playing tag since she came back to the kitchen after an hour of play only to find her daughter covered in bruises and scratches.

Wanda huffed out, "Vut you always vin! And I always forfeit before I can reely get into the game."

He shrugged while standing up and pulling her off the bed. He had a light skip as he tugged her towards the small halls. "Zen don't forfeit." He called back over his shoulder. Wanda groaned in an over dramatic way, but went towards the front door of the house anyway; Pietro leading the way. Was she ever going to be the one to lead?

As his hand wrapped around the knob, it turned suddenly, but the motion wasn't from him.

Pietro caught a glimpse of the people first and smiled broadly at the 'visitors'.

"PAPI! MOMI! You're here so early!"

A man with light dirty hair (that was obviously passed down to his son), stepped in with a very pregnant woman behind him. He smiled at his children and scooped them up before Pietro could say another word.

He laughed loudly as they tried to break the hug and peer into the bag he brought home. He pushed his children away gently, and waved his finger in the air.

Their mother behind him, chuckled as his 'tsks' filled the silence.

"No peaking! But let's eat it vile vee can yeah?"

For an antagonizing moment, he rummaged through his paper brown bag he had brought and acted as if nothing was in it. After several 'attempts' to tug out the 'heavy' surprise, he gave in to the twins pleading stares and out came a tub that had 'ice cream' written in their language.

"REALLY?" Both of the children screamed, and the twins needn't say anything to race to the table. Their father remained in the dust, chuckling heartily. Turning, he kissed his wife on her cheek and knelt down at her stomach.

"How about you? Are you ready for ice cream?" He softy kissed the surface and then wrapped his arms around his beaming wife, and looked at her in adoration.

"Papi! We vant ice cream!" The screaming request came down the hall, from the kitchen.

He chuckled at the two impatient children and walked slowly– as slow as possible– just to put the ice cream on the table.

"Now, you know the rules. You have to eat something healthy first." He said sternly. As he said so, their mother poured them all leftovers from the previous night.

"Thanks, my love." The man said, as she poured him the most. She smiled at him with a glow to her, and put her hands on the bulging belly she was soon to have taken away, and new pairs of eyes looking up at her instead.

After she sat down, they all ate. The ice cream getting all over the ten-year-olds in the process, of course.

As the father was about to mention that he had seen a polaroid camera for very cheap and was thinking about buying it for Pietro, a boom was heard in the background.

Screams followed.

And many lives were taken.

The father stood up and scooped up his two children immediately, searching franticly for somewhere to put them. Making the choice, he yanked them into the nearest room, which happened to be their own.

"Papi what ees happeening?" Pietro whispered, scared. He had never seen his papi scared before, until today.

"I von't know!" Panicking, he yelled at them to get under Wanda's bed. Obeying their father, they watched as he pulled some of their covers over the bottom gap of their hiding place. Enough coverage was there for them to only look through a small gap.

Their father's face filled the hole soon after. His worried eyes were moving franticly towards the kitchen and the bed to which the twins were under.

"I'll be heelping your momi, please stay!" He then ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him. They were suddenly alone.

Wanda cried out and held on to her brother when a boom was heard near them; closer. Pietro refused to cry or even give out a whimper but even he couldn't help but let fear show on his face. He just couldn't shake the feeling that this was the last time he'd see his father and mother. Maybe even the last time to see his sister.

Wanda, almost sensing his thoughts, hugged him tighter- if that was possible. Particles of dust came down from the ceiling; the booms getting closer and louder.

Then, it came.

A loud BOOM rattled the two children's ears. Both of them screaming in the process.

Two and a half cries were muffled as the explosion took them, and the two children were left orphans and with no other siblings to come.

Pietro knew he was going to die. But all he was praying was that his sister would live. To tell the stories of their mami and papi who were so dear to them. All the while he whispered one sentence over and over.

"I love you Wanda, I love you, I love yo..."

His sentences were then drowned as one more missile hit three feet away from their faces, and he knew, his sister would not be walking out of there alive.

But as he shielded his sister and as he closed his eyes... The explosion, never came. And as he re-opened them, through that tiny little gap, he saw one word that imprinted itself in his mind, forever.

Stark.