Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock
What the fuck?
"Katia! Get your arse up were gonna be late!"
"Calm your tits Jane we still got-" checking the clock, 8:14 am, "oh shit!"
This routine was surprisingly normal for us, Jane: the annoyingly early riser, always waking me up around ten minutes before the train leaves. Me: the somewhat normal teenager, who is trapped in a world where she can't get up whenever she damn pleases.
"I swear to god! Katia, if your arse isn't out here in the next thirty seconds I'm going to drag void out of your body by your bloody toes!"
I'd like to see her try. I've spent the last two years trying my best to get rid of that bitch.
"Your literally calling yourself a bitch by calling me one....bitch"
"Shut up Void!" I whisper-yelled. Esme still has no idea about void and i don't plan on her finding out that my dark magic has an annoying personality.
I quickly threw on my dull uniform, white shirt, navy skirt, navy blazer and a pair of black converse which are definitely not in shoe regulations at my school. Not like it matters, last time I turned up was around three weeks ago. I quickly stuff a pair of washed out baggy beans and a Metallica t-shirt into my mostly empty backpack before dashing out the door into the hallway.
As I sped into the kitchen, a disapproving look came from Esme.
I turned to Jane. "How the hell did she find out?!"
"What? Finding out that you haven't been in school for three weeks or finding out that you have been secretly practicing your magic behind my back and therefore putting yourself and us in danger?" Esme's tone was calm, and it was unnerving.
"Ok, I'm sorry for the magic, it wasn't anything that could be traced by Ross or hydra. Just a litter bit of pyrokinesis to put my mind at ease. The school thing......yeah I have nothing for that one."
"Did you think I wouldn't find out? Katia, I'm an ex-spy. I know everything."
I couldn't reply, purely due to guilt that I'm hiding so much that could end up putting them in danger if they knew. If Void got any stronger, she may exert too much power for me to control, dark magic, rendering my control useless and leading Ross and possibly hydra right to us.
"ok, get going. you're going to be late." Esme said before wrapping one arm around each of us and kissing the top of our heads.
***
"you know, if you turned up to any lessons, you might actually get a good grade. It would be beneficial in maybe eventually getting a normal life-" Jane started to say as the two of us stepped onto the train.
"I'll never get a normal life, Jane." My voice was quiet and my head hung low. Both of us eventually sat in silence a few seconds before she laced her hand within mine, lightening my mood and shifting my thoughts.
"I may not be a telepath like you, but I know that you are scared of what void will do, and I know that the paranoia is killing you. I just wanted to say that it is ok, your always be ok when your with me. what was it we said? about us?"
I laughed slightly under my breath before smiling. "as long as were together, my fingers lace with yours, the games of fate will never outweigh our love." I recited.
"And why will it never be outweighed?" Jane asked, leaning her head on my shoulder.
"because it's written in the stars." both of us whispered, avoiding any other passengers listening.
there was a long contempt silence between us. Jane remained at ease but I searched thoughts for anything out of the ordinary.
Janes words broke the silence. "you coming to school today?"
I sighed, "no, I-" I paused.
"Kat? what do you hear?" her words came out panicked.
It's not what I could hear, but what I could see.
Pietro stood, staring at me from the other side of the carriage. crimson bullet holes scattered across his body. Why can I see him, why is nobody reacting to a man standing so clearly at loss with life.
"Jane. Can you see him?" the words fell quietly from my mouth as my hands began to shake.
"see who? who are you looking at?"
"my brother."
"Katia, your brother died three years ago." her words were soft, they never reached my thoughts. I know what I can see. he stood there. emotionless. so still I could swear he was a statue.
"Kat. c'mon. this is our stop." her hand dragged me to my feet. I didn't resist. I only moved in time with her pulls like a puppet on a string. my gaze fixed to anything in front of me, desperate to rid the view of my dead brother from my mind.
The icy drops of spring rain ran down my jacket and soaked my hair.
"what the hell happened back there?" Jane asked, her words demanding but her eyes pleading for my answer.
"I saw my brother."
"Katia, that's impossible. he's dead."
"you think I don't know that?" I snapped. "look, I know it's not possible, but I know what I saw."
silence overcame the two of us. Not the comfortable silence we had before.
"maybe it's Void, Maybe it's some kind of sick joke of hers to trick my mind into insanity."
"maybe." That was all she said before turning her gaze off towards the school building in the near distance. "you sure you want to be alone after that? why don't you just come to school-"
"Jane. you know why I can't. Being there is an easy place for anyone to find me. Anyone who would turn me in to Ross or Hydra. And if they find me they find you. And I don't know what I would do if they hurt you, but I know it would end in their deaths."
Jane's expression lightened and she chuckled. "how romantic."
I laughed slightly before gently placing a kiss on her lips.
i pulled away ever so slightly so only our foreheads touched and spoke quietly. "I'll see you back home."
she nodded slightly before fully pulling away and taking a step past me. "love you Kate."
"love you too Jane."
***
London was a city I knew for its hidden beauty. and loved even more for its hidden gardens one in particular became a spot i cherish. St Dunstan's Spot. beautiful gardens with flowers that weaved their way around the ruins of an old church. Few people knew of this place, and even fewer visited.
I would usually hide around the corners to practice my magic, but today it was empty. nothing to be heard but the song of birds hiding away from the rain.
I sat down on the stone, making sure to dry the patch I from any rain, not that it mattered as I was already soaked.
In my walk over to the gardens I found a public bathroom in which to change out of my uniform.
slowly, my hands began to warp many raindrops around me, stopping them mid air and floating them around my head. Eventually, the drops morphed together and took a form, the shape quickly showed up as the face of my brother, then morphed into my sister, then my mother, and finally my father. I longed to see them again. It has been ten years since the death of my parents, Three years since I couldn't save Pietro and two years since I have seen my sister.
I wanted to glance into her mind, see that she was ok, but my thoughts at ease and deny that anything may have happened in the time away. But doing so would be using magic that Ross and possibly Hydra could track.
"You know, your magic is quite admirable. Miss Maximoff."
The sound of my name causes me to freeze in my spot. Hy hands began to tremble. "I'm afraid you are mistaken. My name isn't Maximoff."
"Then would you prefer if I called you Katherine Maxwell?"
My breath caught in my throat and I stood still with my back to the person talking, Her voice was calm, her accent clearly showing she was from a nice side of London.
"I am not here do do you harm Miss Maximoff. Nor am I here to turn you in."
She spoke, i tried to hear her thoughts, but nothing.
"You're wondering why you can't hear my thoughts." She continued. "Like you couldn't hear your brothers on the train."
In that moment I turned around, a look of disbelief on my face. She was bald, and wore yellow robes. "Who are you?" I demanded.
She smiled slightly before speaking. "I am known as The Ancient One. I have some information for you regarding Void and your power."
"How did you know about that?" My harsh tone caused my accent to thicken. "There is not one person alive that knows about that."
The Ancient One chuckled. "Apart from your girlfriend of course." A calm smile remained on her face. "Well then, considering I am not alive, you won't need to worry. You see Katia, nobody can see me apart from you, just like how Jane couldn't see your brother. I know why."
I quickly gathered a few large boulders with my power and sat down. My stare fixed strongly on the apparent ghost in front of me. "Do enlighten me." I said sarcastically.
"Your power, it originated from a series of injections that were infused with the energy of the mind stone am I correct?" The Ancient one asked, asking a question she clearly already knew the answer to.
"That's correct." I replied.
"What if I were to tell you that is not the case. Your power has always been there the connection to the mind stone only allowed more to awaken it."
My eyes widened. "That makes no sense. Im pretty sure I would have remembered having elemental powers when i was younger."
"It is likely you wouldn't. Your magic laid dormant until it was exposed to the energy of the mind stone. Only then did they manifest and release Void."
"How do you know this?" I asked, shaking my head in disbelief.
"During my time alive, I was a master of the Mystic Arts. Our job is to protect the earth's reality, and the time stone. There are prophecies, many of them. One of which is named Void and the Amethyst Hex. That is where I believe you are involved. Unfortunately, in death, I cannot reveal everything, but I do believe you are aware of Void's ability for necromancy. If there is anything else you wish to know, go to the New York Sanctum. That is where you will find Dr Strange and the book that contains all information on your prophecy. Now, I must leave you. You have your training session to go to."
"What? My training session isn't until eight." I checked my watch, 7:43pm. "Where did the time go?" I asked, looking up in search for the Ancient one, only to see that she was gone.
Thank you for reading this chapter, I'm currently on holiday and have been using the train journeys to write, currently on a train from York to home😂.
I hope you have are enjoying it and loving Katia as much as I am. Stay tuned for the next chapter as this is just the introduction to Katia's time as a fugitive.
Don't forget to vote and comment some suggestions and maybe share this, it would mean a lot.
See you later
SM xxx