Inheritance of ash

Day three - part two

Kate shoved past him, Peter and Yelena trailing after. And there she was—Wanda. Sitting on the couch, hair damp and clean, wrapped in the scent of fresh soap. Bob the cat curled on one side of her, Vicky slumped against the other, looking utterly spent.

Wanda glanced up as they entered, her gaze landing briefly on Peter—lingering, just long enough to clock the faint black smudges under his eyes. She gave no reaction and looked away again.

It was Vicky who spoke first. Her voice was tired, flat. "She told me what happened. That you guys didn't get the files. God, that sucks."

Kate's brows knit together instantly. That's not true. Wanda had been the only one to see the file. She'd burned it before any of them could react. But Vicky looked so tired, so raw, that Kate swallowed it. She said nothing. Neither did Yelena. Neither did Peter.

Pietro's shoulders sagged with visible relief at the sight of his sister, but worry was carved deep into his face. He crossed the room slowly, sat down beside her, and searched for the right words. But with everyone else here, he didn't even know where to begin. Wanda's face gave nothing away. Stoic. Controlled. Like nothing had happened.

He opened his mouth, about to ask where she had gone, why she had left, if she was okay when another voice cut through.

"So."

Clint stood in the doorway, eyes sweeping over the group. Peter immediately hunched, clutching his tissue again, conjuring up his best sad expression. Vicky blinked in confusion, but caught on quick—sliding closer to him, curling into his side with all the worry of a girlfriend nursing her boyfriend through a breakdown.

She didn't even bother asking why he looked like a raccoon.

Clint's sharp gaze scanned each of them, weighing, measuring. "Where were you?" He directed it at Yelena, his voice clipped but not unkind. He knew better than to bother with Kate or Peter's half-excuses. Yelena was older. Sharper. Responsible. If anyone would give him the truth, it would be her.

He picked the wrong person.

Yelena tilted her head, lips twitching faintly. "We went to the park. To stalk Pietro and his new girlfriend."

Clint's eyes flicked to Pietro instantly.

Pietro's jaw clenched. He forced his expression into something neutral, fighting not to twitch. After a beat, he gave the smallest of nods, trying to seem annoyed.

Kate, ever the dramatist, jumped in before he could unravel. "Yeah—like, full-on creep mode. We were hiding behind bushes, binoculars, the works. Honestly? So worth it."

The lie spilled out of her so smoothly that even Yelena's brows lifted in mild admiration. Pietro pressed his lips together, nodding along, selling it with silence.

Clint didn't look convinced, but before he could press further, Natasha and Tony entered.

"Did you tell them yet?" Nat asked, straight to Clint.

Clint exhaled slowly. "No."

But that sentence alone made Wanda's head snap up. Pietro noticed it. His gut twisted.

Hers did too.

Tony didn't notice. He stepped forward, hands shoved in his pockets, his voice brisk. "People from Wakanda are on their way. Any minute, actually. They've got equipment, maybe a specialist, I don't know. Point is—they're gonna get Barnes out of that room."

Across the room, Wanda visibly exhaled. Shoulders loosening, jaw unclenching. Pietro caught it. So did Yelena.

Tony moved past them all, straight to Vicky and Peter. Mostly Peter. He put a hand on the kid's shoulder, lowering his voice. "How you doing now, kiddo?"