The sun on your skin.. the lake.. the water.. water moving and water droplets and— I have to pee.
Groaning, I dropped back onto the ground. "I can't do this shit." I whispered, tired of trying to concentrate energy. I could fly a car into the sky, tear a tree from the roots, and choke someone with my mind but I can't make a glass of water appear in front of me.
I could hear my sisters voice in my head, teasing, "What kind of witch are you?"
Well quite frankly, she had a point because I don't even know at this point. "Okay just," I raised up and shrugged my shoulders a few times, then rolling my neck to relax my muscles. "Just focus, Y/n."
I stared out at the water and sat crossed legged while raising my right hand as if I was holding a glass already. I had to visualize it and will it into existence. That was in my lessons and if I had paid attention, I could probably do it by now.
But, the past is the past.
My eyes focused on the lake, the water moving and I locked that thought into my brain. Water.. flowing.. flow into my goddamn hand please.
I took a single deep breath and started to close my right hand slowly, imagining the feeling of the glass sitting against my skin and the sound of water filling it up.
Just like now.
My eyes widened as I stared at my hand, watching a glass slowly start to fix itself into my hand like ash coming together.
"Hey!" I jumped in shock, the glass vanishing into thin air again. I faked a cry as I dropped back onto the ground again, still staring at my hand. I was so close. "What are you doing?" Wanda rounded in front of me with furrowed eyebrows.
"I.. I just wanted to make a glass of water." I mumbled, the space between my fist making me want to cry. Did you see how close that was? I almost had it!
"Oh, all you had to do was ask." I flipped my eyes to Wanda and saw her wave her fingers before the space between my hand was no longer empty. She smiled widely, motioning to the glass. "There you are. Drink up!"
I rolled my eyes and sat the glass down before pushing onto my feet and brushing past her. "Thank you, but no thank you." I walked along the edge of the lake before leaning down to feel the water, checking the temperature.
"Well you said you wanted water." She came along side me and eyed me as I cupped my hands and lifted the water up, staring at it as if I could mentally make it appear in cup form.
As if— no as if, I should be able to. I'm a frickin' witch! "Just.. turn," I whispered to the water cupped in my hands. "Don't be shy."
"Okay," Wanda rested her hand on my shoulder and slightly lifted me up. "I'm beginning to get concerned. Is this the wolf people alien side of you?"
"No." I said plainly and turned around to walk back to my spot, the feeling of water etched onto my skin so hopefully it'll be easier this time. "I'm trying to make my own glass of water, Maximoff so.." I waved my hand before raising it up in half fist form again. "Let me focus."
"Ah okay." She whispered and slowly sat on my right, a few feet away but no further than an arms distance.
Another deep exhale and I was back to the start, focusing on the water.. flowing.. glass building- crunching.
I slowly turned my head and watched as Wanda stared at my hand while shoving popcorn into her mouth. "Wanda." I mumbled and she snapped her eyes to me. "Do you mind?"
"Oh is this bothering you?" She whispered, pointing at the bag of popcorn in her hands. I continued to stare at her until she moved it to sit at her side, then dusting her hands off. "Sorry, proceed."
Should've killed her when I had the chance, I thought to myself, smirking when her jaw dropped. "That's a bit harsh, Y/n." I simply turned my head and looked at the water again.
"Okay, this isn't going to work." She said after a moment of silence and failed concentration. "You're trying too hard and, I know I didn't have any of your fancy village lessons, but I can probably teach you a thing or two." I silently watched as she raise up, her hand reaching out to me. "Put your ego aside and let me help. It's the least I can do since.. your mother isn't here to continue the lessons."
I dropped my eyes to her hand and watched her stretch her arm toward me. I wanted to reach out and grab it, put my ego aside as she said..
"Thank you." I said, raising my hand to hers. "But I don't need your help." I pushed her hand away from me with the back of my hand and raised up while grabbing a long stick that I had carved sharp.
She silently watched me walk toward the lake again. "Okay.. well, I'm making breakfast if you want to come by-"
"I found fish." I retorted, walking into the lake and holding the stick up as I stared into the waters. "So you won't need to bring me any more food." My eyes drifted along the water before I shot the stick down, feeling the rough puncture under the other end of the stick, then raising it up to see a good sized sea bass on the other end.
"Looks like you were good for one thing, father." I mumbled. Twisting the stick out of the fish and holding it by its mouth, I walked back out of the lake. Wanda was still standing there, her arms crossed as she watched me but I had to ignore her.
I was starting to forget the whole reason I came here in the first place. It was to lure her to New York, as courtesy of Sword to cancel my own debts. The conspiracy against the government, kind of in trouble for a lot of murders, debt.
And here I was, lowering my guard and actually allowing myself to have conservations with the girl. Sixty days ago me would slap the absolute shit out of current me.
Though I didn't feel all too right killing her now, it felt equally as wrong to pretend everything was peachy keen. Nothing was peachy keen. My mother and sister are still gone, I'm still wanted by the government and so is she..
Where does that put us? Back at square one but hey, my desire to kill her wasn't that high anymore. That's something.
"I understand." She said as I slid another thicker stick through the mouth of the fish and pushing it through until it came out the other end. "But the boat looks like it needs a lot more work." I stuck the end of the stick into the ground as I stacked some blocks of wood into a small circle. "You may need more clothes and.. showering? You can't even make your own glass of water."
"I'm an alien wolf person, remember?" I pressed my hand into the wood, letting my body heat leave my fingertips to catch the branch on fire. "It's in my dna to survive." I looked up at her as I walked over to grab a stack of leaves, adding it to the fire. "It's what we do." I added and pulled the stick from the ground, then sticking it over the fire and twisting it slowly to roast every side of the fish.
As I sat down on a boulder I had pulled over to use as a makeshift chair, she walked around the fire and stared at me but I stared at the fish. She was trying to get into my head but I wouldn't let her. Not anymore. I subtly concealed my hand as I raised it up, scratching my head but I quickly pushed my shield up at the same time.
That's when I raised my eyes to look at her, watching as she huffed and rolled her eyes. "Okay." She said, nodding slightly. "You win." I smiled smugly and looked back down at my fish. "But tell me this one thing," I hummed lowly, twisting my stick. "Are you aware of what Runes are?" I stopped twisting, my entire body freezing at that one word.
Oh shit..
"Oh shit, is right." My head shot up when she started to back away with a smirk, then slowly raising up into the sky with her red ball of energy shit. "Again, Y/n, don't think about your next move when going against a witch." I watched her snap her fingers, instantly turning into a cloud before disappearing.
She didn't..
I raised my hand toward my backpack and tried to pull it toward me but it didn't budge. Quickly raising up, I leaned down to the rock and wrapped my arms around it before trying to lift in. "Come onnnn." I groaned, staining against it but it didn't lift up.
My head dropped down, my chin against my chest as I raised up, staring at the tree-line as if she stood in front of me. "Wanda!" I shouted in annoyance.
She did not just cast a spell that forbade me to use my own powers..
Oh but I did
I heard in my head, followed by that annoying ass laugh. Oh I'm gonna kill her alright.
-
I wasn't some, stay-in-my-same-dirty-clothes-all-day type of person. I utilized what I had, like.. the lake. It wasn't ideal but I made do with what I had.
I also managed to salvage half a bar of soap that I brought from home. It was pretty tore up but still useable so, that's what I was using to clean myself, and my clothes.
After my pants were dried, I started to scrub my shirt in the water, watching the stains slowly come out which was kind of satisfying.
Then I heard it. A low growl, seething with anger and caution. Turning my head to the tree line, my eyes drew to a pair of yellow eyes that were staring directly at me. A giant ass wolf lurked on the outskirts of the woods while taunting me to step forward.
I slowly sat my shirt down and turned around fully, my hands dropping. "I'm assuming this was once your territory." I said, starting to walk toward the wolf cautiously. "Where have you been, big fella?"
The wolf started to raise it's nose, trying to show dominance. Nodding, I kept walking forward. "No I get it. People tried to take my home once too.. they actually succeeded so I can imagine your fear right now."
Yes, I was talking to a wolf and no I couldn't actually communicate with them but it didn't hurt to try, right? I kept walking until I was a good two feet from the wolf, our eyes connected and I tried to let my eyes glow.
Then I remembered who took my goddamn powers. Huffing, I rolled my eyes before attempting something I hadn't in at least seven years.
Maximoff, I thought, clenching my jaw when I didn't get a response. I'm going to need you to take your Runes down unless you feel like finding a dead body today.
What are you talking about?
I looked around and could still see through my regular vision which meant she still had it up. And at the same time? The wolf dragged his right paw through the dirt which meant he was seconds from attacking.
If I die, it's on you. I said before bracing myself for the wolf as he charges toward me. Even if I didn't have my enhanced abilities, I could still kick some ass. I jumped up, clearing the wolf before tucking my legs into a backflip, landing in a squatted position with my right hand on the ground.
I could've definitely been a superhero.
Not having much time to appreciate my own awesomeness, the wolf turned and trampled toward me once again, the front paws raising and clawing up but I quickly raised my forearm which allowed the wolf to bite down on it.
Though it hurt like hell, it was better than having my head bitten off. So, I used my own strength to pushed against the wolf, it's jaws locked onto me so it's defense mechanism was too focused on what it was biting instead of trying to get up.
I managed to get the wolf onto its back where I then lifted my free hand to now hold its throat down.
"Oh my God." I heard Wanda exclaim behind me. "What do I do?"
"Cast your damn runes away!" She nodded and quickly ran forward, her hands up as she threw her red energy at the symbols she had hidden around the section I called my living space. Asshole..
"It's gone!" She shouted as the animal finally lifted up and tossed me with it. The wolf toppled over me, its paws landing right onto my abdomen and I felt the deep scratch penetrate me enough to raise a scream. "Y/n!" Wanda tried to run forward which made the wolf turned its attention toward her.
Instead of thinking 'great, time for me to run away', I jumped up and ran full speed before wrapping my arms around the wolf and tackling it to the ground just before she was attacked. I raised my hand and managed to scrounge up enough strength to push her back with the little power I had from gaining them back, then I made a circular motion above my head that raised my own forcefield surrounding me and the animal.
She didn't need to see this if it went south..
The wolf, still trying to bite my head off, was being held back by my hands but this could go one of two ways. I've heard about the use of 'alpha baiting' when my father would come home from his home planet but I've never actually tried it before.
Nor have I... seen it used in action and I also had no telling if I was even a damn alpha. I knew that my father was but I could end up being one omega bitch.
But it was still worth a try. If I could even get the wolf to relax. I groaned when I felt his teeth nip at my forearm again. "Y/n I'm knocking this down!" Wanda shouted and I shook my head, lifting up slightly but the wolf pushed me back down, claws digging deeper.
"No! Just.. wait." My breathing was erratic and heavy as I tried to make myself shift but it was usually out of anger. Then I thought about this thing killing me and getting to Wanda and somehow that brought it out of me.
My nails started to push out again, digging into the animals neck and as he growled angrily, I started to push up again, feeling my eyes burn as they reflected within it's irises.
I could feel my blood boiling, my vision turning more crisp and sharp but drastically changing to a tunnel vision as well. When I felt the claws push into deeper into my stomach, I went to scream again but instead of a scream.. I felt a rough groan leaving my mouth but almost resembling.. a growl?
With the newfound strength I was feeling, I managed to roll the wolf over and held it down, our eyes connected as I let the new noise leave me once again, but louder.
Immediately, the wolf whined and flipped back over but away from me. My right hand was rested against the ground, my head raised proudly while it's head dropped dropped, nose to the ground as it slowly backed away.
I raised my hand, swiping it to drop the shield and watching the wolf now run away deep into the forest. That's when the pain set in again. I dropped down to my knees, groaning as I held my stomach.
"Hey, you're okay." Wanda slid up next to me, her arm wrapping around my back while looking at the scar on my stomach. "Why aren't you healing?"
My head shook. "Too weak." I whispered, dropping my head down as my energy drained once again. I'm surprised I hadn't fell into a damn coma with how much I was wasting on a daily basis. "I can get an infection.." I tried to stand up, hissing at the deep sting I felt within my stomach.
"I've got you, Y/n. Relax." She wrapped both arms around me and I closed my eyes weakly when I started to feel air swarm around us, the ground no longer under me but I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes.
Within seconds I felt myself sat down on a cushion now, the same smell of tea and mint filling my nostrils which clued me in that we were in her cabin. "Does medicine help?"
I shook my head. "My body burns it off. Just— alcohol. I need something to clean it." She quickly ran around the back of the cabin before running back to me with a medium sized bandage, a bottle of peroxide, and some cotton balls. As she started to pour the peroxide onto the cotton ball, I waited until she sat it down before I reached forward and grabbed the bottle, then tilting it over and pouring it over my stomach.
"God... dammit." I hissed, the burn sizzling my skin but I knew it would only be short lived. When I went to reach for the bandage, she pulled her hand back.
"Let me, please?" I sighed but nodded as I relaxed against the couch and let her work her magic. Her hand raised toward my cut but I quickly caught it. "I'm just going to stitch it up."
"No," I said, watching as she went to object but I beat her to it. "My kind doesn't use magic to reverse natural causes." Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, so, I elaborated. "It's a way to make sure you don't become consumed with your power. My mother raised the rule in my village and I still live by it. If it happens naturally, it heals naturally."
"Oh.." she mumbled, nodding and looking down at her hand. "I'll just bandage it then?" I nodded and she smiled silently while I stared at her, waiting for her to apply the bandages but she never did. What was she waiting for? "I'm gonna need my hand, Y/n."
My eyes dropped and that's when I realized I was still holding her hand. "Oh I-" I quickly let her hand go and laid back, my face burning slightly but I blamed it on my adrenaline that was still pumping— it's just hot in here, okay?
Wanda, still smiling, dried around the cut before gently placing the bandage over the gash, her fingers smooth and warm and cautious. "Can I ask you a question?" She said, her voice soft and comforting. I nodded my head up. "You talk about your mother a lot.. what about your father?"
My eyes closed instinctively. "You certainly don't hold back on your questions, do you?" I could practically see her sheepish smile, even with my eyes closed. "I haven't.. spoken with him in some time. We didn't have the best relationship at the end, especially after my mom and sister died."
When I felt her hands stop moving but still resting on my stomach, I opened my eyes and watched her study me inquisitively. Her warmth made me want to keep talking, keep sharing things about my life despite the fact that I'm suppose to hate her. It was beginning to get difficult depicting if it was me in control of myself or if it was her doing.
Either way, I kept talking. "He was more so the leader of Xouthea and spent all of his time there instead of here with his family. The second to last time I saw him I uh.. I tried to mend our relationship. Only to find he had another family on his planet." Her eyes widened slightly and I nodded slowly. "Yeah imagine me. Just lost my mom and sister and I go to seek comfort from my dad and he's.. well.. yeah."
"I'm sorry." She whispered and I could feel a weird stirring in my chest when she looked at me again. "That's.. it's terrible."
"Yeah. Going there is when I ran into Thanos." I dropped my eyes and I frowned, remembering everything that led to my breaking point.
I was hitching a ride with some space travelers when we stumbled across a planet for a rest stop to just grab something to eat. He was there.. being as terrorizing as usual but I wasn't scared. I was tired and exhausted and didn't care what happened to me. He saw that.
"As terrible as it is, it felt good to be comforted in the moment." I mumbled, remembering how he rested his hand on my head as he crouched down to talk to me. He was soothing and seemed to speak directly to my soul in the moment. "He told me that he could feel my pain and that everything would be okay. Said.. I was lost and needed a purpose, he could give me a purpose." My eyes lifted back to Wanda. "That's when he mentioned getting revenge for everything that's ever pained me. He promised me closure."
"And that's when you.." she trailed off and I nodded slightly at the missing words but I knew what she meant. "What did you do?"
"Something terrible." I whispered, closing my eyes when I was thrown back into that moment.
I watched as everyone ran screaming but not making it far as each blast stopped them in their tracks.
I should feel bad, I should want this to stop but I was blinded by anger and hurt. "My child," I gulped and looked up at the calling from Thanos, his hand resting on my head again. "It's time." Nodding, I followed after him as his hand slid down to rest on my upper back, guiding me toward a group of four all kneeled down with their hands on their heads.
I saw my father, his apparent wife and kids. The kids were around my age but that only fed my anger. They were his priority over me.. his first born child. How could he?
"Y/n," my dad said, his eyes moving to me. "This isn't you, okay? I know you have a lot of darkness within you but you must fight it." My jaw clenched when he inched forward hands coming off of his head and raised toward me. "It's gonna call you.. I was prepared for this but you aren't her.."
"Who?" I whispered, stepping forward. "Who are you talking about? Mom?"
He closed his eyes and exhaled heavily. "No.." when he stood up, I tilted my head when he reached for me, his hands holding my shoulders. "See? We still have so much to talk about. Just stop doing this and we can talk about everything, okay?"
I slowly nodded, letting my hands slowly drop the blaster that was in my hands. It was yet to be used but I didn't need to. He was finally going to-
"Y/n.." I gasped when I felt something slide through my stomach but it was quickly stopped. My eyes widened when Thanos grabbed the blade from my dad and lifted it up and out, aiming for his head.
"Wait." I said, looking down and watching the blood seep from my stomach but I placed my hand on it, feeling it already begin to heal. Thanos turned to me and I shook my head. "That's too easy."
I glared at my dad before drifting my eyes to the side and locking them on the three that were still kneeled. "Daughter wait." I closed my eyes and felt the energy course through my veins, then pulsating at my fingertips. "It's too late.." I reopened my eyes and watched my dad coward back in fear. "It's in you." He whispered, gulping deeply. "She's in you."
Ignoring him, I raised my hands and threw my energy forward, watching as the purple-blue ropes wrapped around all three of their necks, my dad watching as they suddenly gasped for air.
He screamed for me to stop but I couldn't help but feel the satisfaction of watching him lose his family. It's exactly how he made me feel time after time. Now he has to watch.
"I tried to justify it. They knew about us, his family? They knew which is why I didn't feel bad. They were at fault as much as he was.." Sighing heavily, silence filled the gap between my words like smoke in a room.
Though, I didn't feel judgment or resentment coming off of her at the moment. No, she raised her hand and rested it on the side of my cheek. My eyes shot to hers and she smiled. "It's okay." My jaw slacked as I blinked slightly at the feeling of them pooling with tears. "We all make mistakes and we can't turn back time.. so, we must learn to be okay with ourselves again."
I looked away, the feeling of her hand like acid against my skin. But less burning.. more guilt ridden?
Guilty about how she was comforting me when I had a watch in my pocket. A watch that I was suppose to be using to communicate with Sword about her whereabouts. A watch that I was given by people who wanted her dead. By people I was helping to capture and end her.
Much like how I helped Thanos achieve the snap..
"I have to go." I whispered, quickly lifting up despite the raging pain filling every muscle in my body.
"Y/n you don't have to push me away because of your past." She was being too caring. She was getting too close to me and she shouldn't. I'm not the person she was beginning to think I was. "I've made mistakes too, it's okay-"
"It's not okay!" I turned to the door, my head hanging as I realized what I had to do.. I had to. "I don't regret joining The Black Order.." Turning around, I kept my head held high despite the fact that I would singlehandedly ruin any compassion she had for me with my next words. "Because at least I was able to help destruct the worlds most indestructible synthezoid."
Her mouth slightly fell shape at my words and I could see a wave of emotions crash against her. Sadness, pain, then vexation and slowly a ball of wrath twirling between her hands.
"You were right." She said lowly, her head tilting as she took a daunting step toward me, eyeing me with deep, angry red orbs. "I don't know you and I no longer want to." Her hands slowly raised up. "You are going to build your boat, then you'll get the hell away from my home."
Before I could react, I felt a hard thrust to my chest which sent me flying backwards fast and quickly, managing to miss every tree in sight before my back hit the ground. I turned my head weakly and managed to catch a glimpse of the lake on the right, cave on the left.
At least she has good aim, huh?
I slowly pushed myself up and stared at the trees ahead of me and spotting a sudden thick, red force field building up in the distance. She was casting me out, literally and figuratively. That's good, right? Meant she would stay away from me and we'd both be able to go about our business without attachment.
She shouldn't care about me.. no one should. And I shouldn't care about her.
It's the way it should be.
____
Next chapter will be a dive more into your past. You'll be meeting miss Kristine..
Hope you enjoyed, Thanks for reading ❤️