Agony (Wanda Maximoff)

Chapter 56

||Life is tough, my darling, but so are you.||

Wanda watched as the jet took off, and it wasn't until they were out of sight that she realized how cold she was. The sky was darkening as the sun began to set, and she held herself for a moment before running back to the building. 

As gently as she could, Wanda dragged the unconscious Agents into the building and out of the freezing cold. She could feel them dreaming, and that was enough for her to let them be until they woke up on their own. She needed to go and check on Pietro, then find Emma, because she knew Emma was still downstairs with Sapphire and Katarina. 

The cafeteria was still loud with conversations of "the woman in blue" when Wanda rushed in, but she ignored it all and found the table where she left Pietro. He was sitting up by that point, his head heavy in his hands. "Are you hurt?" she asked him, and his head shot up, aware of his sister. Pietro grabbed Wanda's hand and she stepped forward, wrapping her arm around him and hugging him. "Katarina's mother has found her," she whispered, and Pietro pulled away, looking into his sister's face with uncertainty. 

"That was her?" 

"Let's get downstairs," she pulled him up, and Pietro snuck them out of the cafeteria in the blink of an eye. 

They were careful not to be too loud when they made it to Katarina's hallway. One Agent was on the floor, sprawled out and unconscious. Blue embers scattered the steel floor like blue diamonds, and Wanda moved slowly, making sure not to step on them. 

The twins took a breath before stepping in front of the glass wall.

Emma's diamond form stood in the corner, observing the two women in the middle of the room--Katarina and Sapphire. 

They were holding onto each other, their bright flames entangling with one another, creating an emerald aura around them. Wanda caught Emma's attention, but she just held her hand up, signaling her to wait out there. 

Wanda couldn't sense Sapphire's anger anymore, all she felt was relief and love. How long had it been since she'd last seen Katarina?

"My princess," Sapphire croaked, and Wanda held onto Pietro's hand, remembering clearly how it felt to be reunited with him not so long ago. "I'm going to get you out of here."

"Wait..." Wanda heard herself say, and Sapphire turned around, her eyes blazing blue. "We need your help." Katarina's golden flames vanished, and Sapphire's soon followed. 

"Why should I help you?" Sapphire gave Wanda a disgusted look, her bright eyes defensive. "My daughter asked for my help, and I find her here, in this room, all locked up. How do you think that looks?" 

"It isn't like that at all," Wanda began to take a step forward, but she was met with the thick glass. 

"She's right," Katarina finally spoke, and Sapphire turned around, relaxing her shoulders immediately. "It's dad, he's gone crazy." 

___

The jet was full of Bucky's blood--it was everywhere. Natasha could smell of it from where she sat, and she forced herself not to throw up. 

They had made it to a nearby hospital in a nearby city, and Natasha had no choice but to park on the roof of the building. It was all a blur after that. She couldn't even unbuckle herself to go help everyone bring Bucky inside. It was as if she was paralyzed; everything shut down at that point. 

For the longest time, Natasha hadn't let anything phase her, that was part of who she was. Being trained in the Red Room, she learned very quickly how to protect herself from emotions, because in the Red Room, there was no time for tears or pain. It was all about being the best, and that's who Natasha was--the best.