Love and loss. Two very strong emotions that the world was feeling with the aftermath of the war. The world was healing, which was hard to do when so much happiness was flowing through their hearts. Those who had disappeared were home again, but the...
Bruce was positive that her condition was not as bad as he had anticipated. Dehydration, bruised ribs, neck, wrists, ankles. Strained lungs, countless cuts, and scrapes. When it came down to it though, he assured everyone she would be perfectly fine. Sam returned over an hour later, he had lost the car downtown and couldn't locate it again. There was nothing about the vehicle that could distinguish it from other black cars of the same brand. Pepper still ran some scans just to be safe, though they came up with nothing. They all were on edge, the need to know what happened hovered in the air. Wanda was the only one who could tell them what happened, but right now she couldn't speak too well with the condition her neck was in.
Bruce had gone to check on her during the night, he was surprised to find the soldier had fallen asleep in the chair beside her. The Hulk smiled swiftly and threw a sheet over the man before he left the room. It was late when Bucky woke to her coughing, he was quick getting to her side and place his hand on her clammy forehead. "Take it easy." His voice was low and caring, a tone he hadn't used often. Then her eyes slowly opened, it took a moment for the hues to focus on the room and her surroundings before they landed on his own. Slowly his thumb caressed the center of her forehead as he kept her eyes on him. Then she cried, the emotion in her grimace pained him as he watched tears trickle down her cheeks and onto the pillow below. There was no words, he let her cry with his presence. There was one thing he was sure of...he was going to kill Magneto.
The days passed and Bruce kept Wanda under close examination, keeping her bedridden for a week was irritating but needed. Wanda finally was let out of the lab and although walking was painful she refused to sit in a wheelchair, so Bucky took her arm and lead her into the lounge where Pepper, Rhodes, Bruce, and Sam were waiting. Wanda lowered herself slowly onto the couch and watched Bucky step back, letting her have some space. Sam eyed the soldier curiously, the change in his usual cold and sarcastic attitude when it came to Wanda was warm and caring. Part of him was proud of them for finding strength in one another, it was something so many of them needed.
"Wanda, I hate to ask you...but..." Pepper started, her voice caring and motherly.
Wanda looked up, her eyes full of everything but kindness, "What did Magneto want?" Bruce shook his head without understanding.
"To talk..." Wanda's accent was heavy in the thick of her voice. "To educate me." The word 'educate' rolled off her tongue in disgust.
"Educate?" Bucky crossed his arms roughly, "What the hell does that mean?" He looked toward her, she didn't meet his gaze.
"Mutants." Wanda pushed the word past her lips, "He believes..."
"He believes we are superior." They all turned to look toward the door where unfamiliar faces were lead by Scott Lang. Pepper had sent Scott out on a mission and he seemed to have followed through. As they walked into the room a man in a wheelchair emerged, continuing with his words. "That humans are poison to us." Professor Xavier looked around the room, then cemented his emotionless eyes on Wanda.
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"He wanted to pull you in. Make you aware of what you are, then beat you down so he could bring you up again." Bucky walked to Wanda's side, watching and listening. "You are so powerful my dear. More so than any of us know, perhaps even you. But Magneto has an idea, and he wants your power. He wants you." The man's eyes left Wanda's and glided around the room. "He wanted to plant a seed, to push Wanda to self destruction. All in hopes that eventually she would go running back to him."
"I won't." Wanda almost growled, not directly at anyone, just in anger. The pain that surged through her body was fuel enough to make her mad. Bucky looked toward her and sat down, his arm grazed hers and she sighed.
"No introduction needed," Pepper nodded, "This is Professor Xavier," She smiled welcomely, "And the X-Men."
