Heart Of Stone

Chapter 48

One month later, I peek out of the side of the curtain that has been ceremoniously set up for the event that the public were currently barely knowledgable of the reason for. Hundreds of people were there. The thought would've scared me terribly not too long ago, but at this point I was still marvelling in the glory of my Asgardian charm. It made me more confident in crowds.

Tony waltzed onto the stage, Steve  joining him, but in a more civilised fashion. They were both wearing their Avengers gear, just as all the other Avengers were. Steve even had his shield on his back and Thor was carrying his hammer everywhere he went, though the latter was nothing unusual.

The crowds cheered and cameras began to flash when the boys were quite literally in the spotlight. They stopped at a podium, Steve smiling at the crowds politely, Tony unreadable as his mask was down. He raised a hand for silence and was rewarded for his efforts immediately.

"Today we publicly welcome some of our newer Avengers," Steve was the one to speak first. "Something that all of you will know about. You will be able to learn more about them and afterwards there will be some time for a few questions. But what hasn't been made known yet is that we will also be welcoming a new Avenger among us."

Murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire. I wasn't that interesting, was I? Well, I suppose they haven't even seen me yet. There's always time.

"Okay, let's start by bringing up Crazy Kid and Jarvis 2.0, also known as Scarlet Witch and the Vision!" Tony stated, causing people to laugh. Wanda and Vision strode onto the stage, Vision impassive, Wanda smiling and waving modestly. Always a crowd pleaser.

Steve and Tony stepped to the edge of the stage and Wanda spoke first. "It's lovely to see all of you. My name is Wanda Maximoff, but I'm better known as Scarlet Witch. My powers are telekinesis and mind control..."

Wanda continued for a while, telling the story of how she got her powers, about how her twin brother, Pietro, died to protect Hawkeye (Clint) and a young boy. She spoke fondly of him. I could tell they were close even without hearing her words.

Vision spoke next, mostly about his abilities, his creation and the story of how he helped to defeat a creation named Ultron, though I've been told this tale was a quicker version of the events to keep track of time.

"And now that everyone is properly acquainted with Scarlet Witch and Vision," Tony continued once Vision was finished, then looked to where I was standing. "For the newest Avenger."

He gestured me onto the stage. I obeyed and instantly all the eyes of the public were on me, some gasping at me, some cheering, some clicking cameras at me. Many marvelled at my appearance; jet black hair pin straight as usual, my steely grey eyes contrasting with pale skin. I was wearing the dress Steve had designed for me and calling it my 'super suit', as Clint called it. I wore gold heels with it, though the heels were very short to allow a useful item to stab someone with but also not abstract my manoeuvrability.

I did my best to not let the attention bother me, bringing my hand up so my fingers could lightly touch my amethyst gemstone. It was a great comfort to me as much as a charm.

I reached the podium and lightly cleared my throat, causing the crowds to fall quiet to allow me to speak. I take in their faces; all so expectant. Even their thoughts are a little hushed. It was honestly slightly unnerving.

"You all may know of the mythological creature known as the siren," I begin, applying a little siren charm to my voice. I would need to win the favour of the people and first impressions always seem to count.

"I am a unique race of siren," I continue. "There are many sirens, or at least there were. Centuries ago, a school of sirens belonging to the common Tamatarian race were close to shore where two Asgardians, Thor and Loki, were skimming stones.

Loki's stone hit the school's leader. Seeing Loki as a threat due to their leader being 'attacked', the school waited for Thor to leave before attacking Loki, almost killing him.

Years later, when Loki first obtained his staff, he cursed the very school that had beat him close to death. Their tails became legs and they could not touch anyone who was not also affected by the curse, lest their skin turns to stone upon contact in a horribly painful manner. This is when that school became known as the Stone Sirens, among many other names.

The curse was even passed throughout generations, though not to Loki's knowledge or intention.

The first witch trials were what rapidly eliminated the Stone Sirens. A little known fact is that almost every victim was a Stone Siren. As far as is currently known, only two survived the insistent hunt to torture their kind, then burn them at the stake, simply for who they were.

Those two sirens were my parents. They raised me in the 1800s as a wealthy and upper-class girl, though I was still taught survival skills and how to use the abilities I possessed as a siren. There was chaos when it was discovered that my parents were Stone Sirens. I was still very young at the time, unable to truly care for myself.

They covered me in stone, turning me into a mere statue, then hid me in a forest in America to keep me safe. But they were caught and dragged back to England for their turn to be tortured and burnt at the stake as though it was mere public entertainment. When I finally released myself of my stone prison, it was too late. I had to rely on using my powers to convince the local wildlife, wolves and bears, to help me survive. That is my story. It may not seem like much, but I enjoyed my simple life in the forest. It kept me safe."