PRESENT
I shake away the old memory and focused back on my work. haven't thought back of that day in years. It was the day I was free and captured in less then 24 hours. I hate that stupid day. I love what I have now, I love my friends and my work but I hate what had to happen in order for me to get all of this.
No matter, now is not the time to be looking back at the past. The future is literally now.
Pepper cursed when her phone rang and she saw the called ID. "Who is it?" I wondered as she continued to approve most of the projects in front of her. I've already started working here at STARK Industries, I was in Peps office to get the confirmation I needed to start most of the projects a bunch of interns under me wanted to start. They all had high potential. Some more then others.
Pepper shakes her head in dismissal but she still tells me about it. "Director Hayward from SWORD, wants to borrow one of my engineers for some assignment."
I raised an eyebrow. Oh? I would imagine a company as big as SWORD had their own engineers. Why would they need one of ours? I'm surprised he'd ask for her help after he took Vision. "Why does he need us for?"
Pepper sighed but reluctantly told me. "There's some anomaly in westview." She answered. "But like hell I am doing it. Not after he completely ignored my rights as guardian over Vision's body and took him to do god knows what." Right. I hadn't forgotten about that. Since Tony's dead so that legal custody power goes to Pepper.
But by some miracle loophole Hayward was able to take Vision. No one told me that if Vision signed the accords he was giving himself up in the event of his death. I never would have let him sign. Not that I would have even believed he could die. Now I was even more curious when she mentioned Westview. An anomaly in Westview. Wanda was heading to Westview. I always assumed she stayed because she never made it to the apartment. It's been a week and I haven't heard from her since.
Could something have happened? No. No way.
"I'll go." I offered before I could even control myself. Pepper raised an eyebrow. "I mean so he stops bothering you." I stuttered and Pepper still didn't look convinced but the phone buzzed again and she had finally enough. "Okay you can go, but if it's just him pulling tricks you come back." Pepper ordered sternly and I nodded as I picked up my stuff.
"Roger that boss."
I don't give her a chance to change her mind because I'm already out the door. Down the stairs and out the building. I pushed my way through the sea of people in the city and made it to my apartment. I hoped that I was wrong.
But Wanda hasn't texted or called or updated me since she last called me. I was worried. And then this Hayward calls about an anomaly in the same town Wanda was in? Couldn't be a coincidence.
I throw my go-bag inside the passenger seat of my car and drive off to New Jersey. "FRIDAY please try and triangulate Wanda's last single. And while you're at it, send one of our drones to do some reconnaissance of the sight."
"Will do boss."
Boss. I will still never get used to that. The new car came with many things. One of the new things was a compartment in the trunk that acted as a tool desk. I saw through the mirror as the trunk opened and a small STARK Industries Drone flew out and ahead.
Within a few minutes it had already arrived. I set aside the music I had been blasting through the radio touchscreen and pulled up the live footage from the drone.
Well Hayward was right about one thing. This was an anomaly. The Drone recorded what looked to be an energy dome around the town of Westview. In a weird hexagonal shape.
There were already camps set up around it from the Military, SWORD, and maybe a few others.
"FRIDAY is it possible to identify the signature?"
"It is possible. We have to get closer but-"
"If we do, we'll get spotted." I finished for her and muttered under my breath. Great. "Bring the drone back please."
"Of course. And Miss Wanda Maximoff's cell phone last pinged near a service tower inside of Westview." And there is the dread in my stomach.
I read up on the case; Pepper sent me the files. An Agent Woo came here with a SWORD Agent Monica Rambeau. Apparently the entire town of Westview, New Jersey was surrounded by an impenetrable force field. And Agent Rambeau was sucked inside.
The only reason I came is because this was just outside Westview. It's where Wanda and Vision were planning to move. When the neighboring towns said that Westview didn't exist, I knew something had to have happened. I'm trying not to think too much about it though.
It's what I was afraid of.
I pressed the pedal a little faster and got to the place with a surprising record. I was able to get in easily; saying I was with STARK INDUSTRIES and they let me in.
I parked the car and followed the flow of different agents. It seemed they had pulled in every single agency that existed. The wall of energy was unprotected and it felt like it was calling me. But I wasn't stupid. I approached, not close but a good few feet away. Is it me or does the wall of energy seem almost-?
"FRIDAY please do a quick scan and compare it to the saved files of Wanda's power scans." I ordered of FRIDAY quietly so the agents that were passing by wouldn't hear.
I hold my wrist out like if I was checking the time but the screen detaches, and a tiny little drone flies to the wall. I made this little beauty in between lunch a few weeks ago. In the past 5 years technology has changed. Not a lot but enough to want to make me catch up. And I've built some stuff in my spare time. It doubles as a gauntlet for me.
"Veronica Strucker." I turned quickly at the sound of my name, hiding my smart watch behind me.
I recognized the man who called my name as Director Hayward of SWORD. The one who took Vision's body and the one Aurora and Pepper call an asshat. "It's an honor to meet you." He said when he reached me, hand outstretched. "Truly."
I didn't move a muscle to shake his hand. Still keeping my arm behind me till I finally felt the small click of the FRIDAY drone setting in place. Now I cross my arms in front of me.
"You must be Director Hayward." I acknowledged because that was all he was getting. He took Vision, I immediately didn't like him. Hayward nods and awkwardly pulls his hand back. "You've heard of me before."
I nodded. "From what everyone tells me you are an ass." Hayward didn't say anything but I saw one of his forehead veins pulse at my comment. I couldn't help but smirk.
"Those drones you're sending in, what kinda data are you getting?" said a familiar voice. I turned to spot Darcy Lewis speaking with another agent sitting at a workstation. I only recognize her because she was at Tony's funeral. I guess they used to work together on a few projects during the blip. She was also an old friend of Aurora's.
"I'm afraid that's highly classified." The Agent tells her as I walk over, leaving Hayward high and dry.
"You can't see anything?" I questioned the man as I stopped next to Darcy. Darcy looks up at me since I'm slightly taller and also she's sitting down. "Sorry I didn't mean to eavesdrop." I apologized.
Darcy shakes her head. "No worries. We haven't officially met, right?"
I shrugged. "Not entirely." Darcy extends her hand at that. "Darcy Lewis. Astrophysics." I shake her hand and smile. "Veronica Strucker. Mechanical engineer."
Darcy smiled and we looked back at the Agent. "FBI, Army. I saw the Air Force Office of Special Investigations out there. Research Lab, Space Command, too."
God. That was a very long list of agencies. Darcy takes to her desk and pulls out a case with a device. "A bona fide, joint, multi-service response. Looking forward to commemorative T-shirts. Is there somewhere a lady could get a cup of coffee? You guys look like you might get down with those little pod things. Horrendous for the environment."
"Make your assessment, please." The Agent said annoyed by her talking. I didn't realize she talked so much. But then again we only met briefly. No wonder she and Aurora are friends. I was going to like her.
In her hands Darcy holds a scanner. "Whoa." She said in surprise as she looked at the results. "I mean, whoa."
"What're you getting?" I asked as I looked over her shoulder to take a peek at the scanner. My eyes nearly bulged. The levels of CMBR were through the roof. Why was there so much? I immediately sat down in the chair next to her to read the information better.
"A colossal amount of CMBR."
The Agent behind us frowned. "CM-"
"Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation." Darcy and I answered him simultaneously. I groaned with gratitude and looked at Darcy. "You have no idea how great it is to talk to a girl about this stuff." Pepper was there sure but she dealt with the more business aspects of the job.
Natasha was more hacking then building and of course we had our fun hacking stuff through the Avengers Compound to mess with everyone. But I never actually had a woman to talk scientific or engineering stuff with. Darcy nods with a smile. "Trust me, it's the best."
"We've been told the radiation is within a safe limit." The Agent interrupted our conversation. He was clearly confused and a bit anxious.
I shrugged at the agent. "For now." It would only grow. The when is only a matter of time. And how much it would grow could only be a guess.
"Wait, what do you mean-" Darcy shushes him as she continues to read the scanner. I point at the larger wavelength. "Is that?" Darcy knows what I'm asking so she takes out one of her machines that can connect us to the wavelength. And weirdly enough we can make out a person on the small screen.
Darcy points at the Agent. "We need a TV. An old one. Like, not flat."
Once we have the TV from circa 1950's and we connected to the wavelength we got a clearer picture. It was Wanda and Vision. I leaned back in my seat as I stared at the TV. What the hell? Darcy's jaw dropped and she looked at me but I can't even make a sentence form.
"Who are those people?" A frantic Wanda asked Vision. Her hair was up in one of those 50's styles and she wore a dress that meant something was going to go on later.
Vision wasn't in his synazoid form, instead he wore the illusion of a human, the same one he would wear when he was alive and he wore a tux. Although the biggest thing here is that he's alive. Alive. And he looks happy. They both do. Despite looking right now startled as hell.
"What are you wearing?"
"Well, it's our anniversary!" Wanda exclaimed.
"Our anniversary of what?" Vision asked, clearly confused and then there was a burst of laughter from the TV. A sitcom. DickVanDye! Wanda used to watch hundreds of sitcoms when we were in HYDRA. It's all she ever asked for. I used to join her in watching some of them, usually after getting into yet another argument with my dad.
Pietro asked for well ... magazines. To put it lightly.
"Well, if you don't know, I'm not going to tell you!"
Behind Darcy and I, a crowd of agents had formed. All of them were watching what we were watching. Wanda and Vision. I recognized the one on my left as Agent Jimmy Woo. He's the same FBI agent that was always on Scotts tail after he had been put on house arrest. And the one that called this whole thing in. He points at the TV. "Is that-?"
I can barely nod. "It's her."
"You move at the speed of sound, I can make a pen float." Vision tells Wanda. "Who needs to abbreviate?"
I almost laugh at his little humor. But his voice is enough to make the tears in my eyes come loose. This has to be some sick joke. That was his voice. It was him but that was impossible. The dead can't just come back and for some reason star in a sitcom. This isn't some comic book.
"Look, I know it's been a crazy few years on this planet, but he's dead, right?" Darcy questioned me and Woo. "Not blipped, dead."
I nodded, wiping what felt like tears rolling down my cheeks. "He's been dead for 5 years." I still find that part hard to believe. For the world he's been dead 5 years but for me he's only been dead a few weeks. I mean I went to the mausoleum that the others had built for us and for him.
It was weird seeing my name on a golden plaque. It was even harder knowing everyone's who's name was inside was back except him.
"What am I looking at?" Hayward asked from behind us. Jesus Christ when did he show up. He points at Darcy. "You? What is this? Where's this coming from?" Really? Not even a please or thank you?
"Out there."
"Is it authentic?" Darcy shrugged. "I'm not sure how to answer that."
"Is it happening in real time? Is it recorded, fabricated?"
"I don't know. I don't know. And I don't know."
"What do you know?" Hayward asked once more.
"My equipment registered an extremely high level of CMBR." Darcy told him. "That's-"
"Relic radiation dating back to the Big Bang." Hayward answered easily. Huh. Most agents don't know that. Color me shocked.
"Yeah, entwined was a broadcast frequency. So I had your goons pick me up a sweet vintage TV. And when I plug this bad boy in, voilà, sound and picture."
"Dinner is served." Wanda announced to Vision and her guests on the TV.
"So you're saying the universe created a sitcom starring two Avengers?" Agent Woo questioned.
"Get me a transport back to headquarters now." Hayward ordered one of his people. "Are we recording this?"
I nodded. "Never stopped."
"I need immediate analysis." Hayward tells the agents around us. "Now, people. Let's go!" They all dispersed and went to do their separate jobs. Leaving us at the table. "Great work." Agent Woo praised Darcy before leaving us. "Hey thanks!"
On the TV screen Wanda and Vision shared a kiss before the opening credits rolled out. "Aw!" Darcy says but I don't say anything. I don't know what to say. I stood from the chair and rushed out of the tent. I pushed through the sea of agents and other people.
I made it to my car and locked myself inside. I exhaled, my breathing hitched as I cried. Thank my stars that these windows are tinted. This cannot be happening. It cannot. Vision was dead. He was dead. I went to his grave. The others saw him die, twice might I add!
"Tada!" I cheered, holding out a fern to Vision. "Happy Third Birthday you big metal baby!"
Vision laughed lightly as he took the plant. "Thank you Veronica. But why the planet?"
I shrugged. "You've been trying to act and embrace the humanity of things. And one of those things involves trying not to kill a planet."
"What exactly will it prove?" Vision questioned. Again I shrugged because honestly I picked it out as a last minute gift. I mean- what do I get for a synthetic that's been alive 3 years? Last year I got him checkers. Still playing it to this day and we cannot come to an agreement on who beat who.
"I don't know. But since you got that property deed for Wanda, how about you practice keeping some stuff alive?"
Vision thought about it and nodded as he looked down at the planet. "I supposed."
"Boss?" FRIDAY questioned, snapping me out of the memory. I sucked it up, wiping away the tears. "I got the analysis of the energy barrier."
"Um what-" I paused to clean myself up because mascara was running down my face. "What do the scans say?"
"The barrier is built mostly of gamma radiation. But there does seem to be a match for Wanda Maximoff's energy."
Shit.
"Friday, keep this on the down low. And since it's been a few years, figure out where they threw good old Dr. List in jail. I need to ask him some questions."
He worked with my dad during the experiments. The only one. That was a whole lot of genetic work and genetics isn't my thing. I've never seen Wanda's powers go to this extent.
"Yes boss."
I'm startled when someone knocked on my window. I turned the car's little screen off and put it back to my Spotify Playlist. I checked my makeup in the mirror and then lowered the window. Agent Woo stands there with a smile on his face that almost creeped me out. Just a little.
"Sorry to interrupt Miss Strucker," he apologized. "But if you're still with us we could use the help."
I nodded and managed to smile. "Of course. And if we're going to be working together you can call me Veronica." Miss Strucker sounds too formal.
I'm getting to the bottom of this. Just because the energy barrier around the town might be hers, it still doesn't explain Vision.