Next Generation

23: Meeting Wanda

"Hey, kid", he smiled as he pulled back. Steve walked towards them, settling a hand on her shoulder.

"Wanda, glad you're back", he nodded.

"Thank you, Steve", she smiled a closed smile, although it seemed kind of forced and her eyes wary.

"Hello, Natasha", she greeted Nat as they also hugged. Wanda hugged every other Avenger.

When the elevator to the rooftop dinged, it revealed the Next Avengers to her.

"God, I thought you were kidding when you said you had children", she almost breathed out the words, her eyes brimming with tears. Thor nudged the kids to step forward and properly greet Wanda.

The first thing they noticed was her thick accent and liking to red.

"Well they certainly got their parents' good looks", she complimented them as Luke gave her an awkward hug.

"Thank you", Victoria said for everyone. "Well, she's the daughter of no one. She's just kind of here", she pointed at Veronica.

"Victoria!", Tony scolded from across the rooftop.

"I'm guessing you're Tony's daughter", Wanda laughed, holding on to her shoulders.

"What gave it away?", Victoria raised a brow.

"Her snooty attitude or the jet black hair?", Veronica piped in next to her.

"Both", Wanda winked as she greeted everyone else, giving Jason and Francis a tighter squeeze.

Everyone headed back inside, ready to get down to business. Wanda set foot on the Tower with a purpose in mind, and she was going to fulfill it no matter what.

-

At the mention of boy and girl twins, Wanda's lips twitched, almost as if they were quivering. Tony was the first to notice and calmly put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring look.

The look disappeared as quickly as it came and soon, her mindset was back to where it started.

"They are manipulators of emotions, shape shifters, and part, what do you call it? Frost giant?", she asked Thor and Torunn again.

The description of the twin troublemakers sounded a lot like a mixture of children of the corn and something straight from a fairy tale book.

"Yes. All of that", Torunn confirmed. "Is your help available?".

"Of course", Wanda nodded immediately, "never doubt that".

"So you have no idea what they did to you?", she double checked with everyone.

"They took us out to the terrace and toyed with everyone's mind. When we woke up the next day, there wasn't a trace of anything", Bruce explained.

Wanda pondered about a solution but didn't request of it right away.

"I can try and recollect those thoughts from your mind, but it will require me to get inside your head for the second time in twenty four hours", she proposed, although unsure.

Tony shrugged, but Victoria knew he was very tense.

Bruce looked down and ran his hands up and down his arms, nodding slowly.

"Very well then", Wands clapped her hands and motioned for both men to situate themselves on either couches.

She stood in front of them, while everyone watched her wave her hands, swirls of red appearing. Her hands hovered over their foreheads, and soon their eyes fell shut.