||You are so brave and quiet, I forget you are suffering.||
Wanda woke with a jolt, and she sat up, accidentally throwing a ball of her hex at the wall in front of her. Her chest moved violently as she gasped for air, and it wasn't until she saw Pietro's face in front of her that she caught her breath.
"You're fine, you're fine," he stroked the back of her head as she leaned in against his chest.
She dreamt of the day she lost Pietro, and how the feeling of him dying nearly killed her. That feeling never truly left, and sometimes, when she was alone, that dreadful feeling would crawl up her spine and remind her of that awful day.
In her dreams, she was never entirely safe.
"I fell asleep," she stated, pulling away from Pietro's embrace.
"Yeah, a few hours actually."
"Hours? Pietro!" she pushed herself off of the bed and scurried over to the bathroom. Wanda looked refreshed, so perhaps falling asleep wasn't such a bad thing. But it still took time away from working with Emma. "Have they returned?" she asked from the bathroom, splashing water over her face.
"Not yet," he answered, and Wanda's face fell flat as she recalled the bloody scene with Bucky. Water dripped from her chin as she stared into the sink, and she hoped that everything was going smoothly for him. Natasha and Steve would be running on anger if anything happened to him. Just like she did--for months and months.
Wanda stepped out of the bathroom, tying her hair up in a bun to get it out of her face. "We need new clothes," she stated, pulling off the red cardigan she always wore. "I can't fight in this," she tossed it to the floor and stomped over to the hidden closet in the corner. When she pressed her hand against the wall, the door pushed out, and she pulled out a black sweater. "My suit is in New York, at Tony's tower."
"Your suit?" Pietro asked, and she pushed the closet door back into the wall and turned.
"I was given a suit after--" she stopped; remembering.
"You think I can get one?" he added playfully, trying his best to bring her back. Surprisingly, she chuckled, and she headed for the door before answering him.
"Ask me again when this is all over," she said, nodding her head out into the hallway, signaling him to join her. "That's not a promise, though," she said, her voice softening. Pietro followed her out of the room, draping his arm over her shoulder.
"I'll ask you when this is all over because we'll both be here when that time comes," he gave her head a gentle kiss as they walked towards Bruce's lab. "You know I don't like it when you talk like that."
"You don't like a lot of things," she joked.
"Yeah, well, I can't help it." Wanda grinned, walking into the lab and spotting Emma immediately. She couldn't tell if it was just in her head or not, but the moment Emma turned to look at her, she saw fear mixed with anger. The expression didn't suit Emma, but it was there, and Wanda's stomach turned with worry.
___
He sat up, feeling a gruesome pain spread around his stomach. Without putting too much pressure on his side, Bucky got out of the bed, pulling off the IV on his arm in the process.
There were conversations happening outside of the room, but he stepped into the bathroom, locking the door and kneeling down in front of the toilet. Bile formed in his throat, and within seconds, Bucky was throwing up the remnants of his last meal.
It wasn't much, but his body felt ten times better than it did before.
"Buck?" Steve knocked at the door, and Bucky stood up, leaning over a bit as the pain seared through him once more. He turned on the sink and washed out his mouth, spitting out whatever was left in his mouth. "Bucky," Steve said again, and Bucky opened the door, resting against the frame. "Are you ok?" he asked, and Bucky noticed the dark circles under Steve's eyes. How long had he been awake?
"Where's Natasha?" he asked immediately, remembering the woman in blue.
"She's out in the waiting room--she's fine. Buck, you gotta get back in bed." Bucky snarled, pushing back the terrible pain he was feeling. On the chair in the corner, he saw his clothes neatly folded, and he walked over to them, picking up his shirt.
"I'll heal," he said, pulling off the hospital gown. The stitches looked so fresh that Bucky could see the smudged blood around his skin from the puncture holes, and he glanced out the window of the hospital, and out into a busy city. He had no idea where they were, but he didn't want to stay.
"Buck, you got out of surgery a few hours ago, I don't even know how you're walking right now."
"My tolerance for pain is pretty high," he replied, holding up his metal arm. Steve scowled, and Bucky sat down on the chair and felt relief course through his legs. "You always worried too much," he said, and Steve sat down on the bed, pondering Bucky's words.
"I wasn't very good at anything else," Steve retorted, and Bucky held back his smile, thinking back to when they were younger, and how all Steve could do was try and try and worry and worry. That's what Bucky loved about him.
The door to the room opened up, and a man in a white coat walked in, his eyes focused on his clipboard. Bucky pushed himself up from the seat, biting down on his lip to hold back the groan he so badly wanted to release.
When the doctor put the clipboard down, he stared at Bucky, then at Steve, then back to Bucky.
"You wouldn't have those release forms on you, would you?" Bucky asked, and the doctor just stared back at him in bewilderment.
___
Trask studied the Sentinels from his computer, looking at their scanners. They would reach the underground rebel base in ten minutes, and he was eager for them to kill the relentless mutants who were infesting the world.
"S1 has the area in sight, Sir," one of the young men spoke, and Trask clutched the medallion around his neck, watching the monitor with excitement, but also with trepidation. The Sentinels were self-aware, and they hadn't been turned on in months, which was enough to put Trask in panic mode. He knew that there was a good chance a few or so citizens would be harmed, but it was a cost he was willing to pay. As long as the mutants were executed.
"Five minutes until arrival; preparing their electron beams for fire, Sir."
Trask began to pace, but his eyes stayed glued to the screen.
From the screen, the mutants beneath lit up like red dots, and there were so many of them. Trask knew they would never stand a chance against his robots.
"Three minutes, Sir."
The map programmed into the Sentinels would have them enter from an opening away from the busy streets, keeping them hidden. Trask knew he had to keep everything hidden, or else he'd have to face some legal issues, which he would rather much avoid. His ideals on mutants felt right to him, but other people might view them as extreme. No one would ever appreciate his work, not until he could prove just how easily he could take mutants out, and bring peace back to the world.
"The Sentinels have arrived on location, Sir, time to go dark." Trask watched the screen go green, and with slow steps, the Sentinels made their way into the underground base. From his father's original design, the Sentinels were much bulkier, but Trask modified that design, giving them the sleek and slender shape they were now. This meant that their steps were almost impossible to hear, and with their sleek outer design, they were also incredibly light.
But although the robots went through numerous tests, Trask wasn't sure how much they could take. They were designed to adapt to any situation involving a mutant, but there was no way of knowing what could happen.
The Sentinels proceeded down a dark tunnel, but there were no signs of mutants. Trask kept watching, eager to witness his robots destroy the monsters he loathed. But the Sentinels kept coming up empty whenever they entered hidden rooms; mutants were no where to be seen.
"Where are they?" Trask asked, turning to face the engineer behind him. "Where are the mutants?"
"Um... they--they're right here on the monitor, but..."
"But what?!"
The engineer stepped back, raising his hands. "I--I don't know, Sir."
Grabbing his car keys from the table beside him, Trask ordered the engineers to bring back to Sentinels.
"What about the mutants, Sir?" one of the men asked. Trask grabbed his coat and gave the screen one last glance.
"Find them," he spat, glaring at each and every one of them, then stalked out.
___
Emma hid the shaking fear she felt in her bones, trying her best to straighten her shoulders and smile. But it was all too much.
Luckily for her, she had someone working on the inside, with Trask, and they were able to alert her about his attack on her people. All she had to do was make one call, and her people were out and away from the underground base she had.
If it weren't for her dear friend, Axel, who knew what would have happened to her people.
"Emma, what's wrong?" Wanda asked, approaching her cautiously. Pietro stood close behind, as if afraid Emma would lash out. It almost made her laugh--how protective he was of his sister.
"Trask ordered a strike on one of my bases, but everyone got out before the Sentinels arrived. Everyone is safe." Wanda looked mortified, and even Pietro sucked in a breath. "A man who seeks war, is a man doesn't deserve life," Emma said, staring down at the computer screen in front of her. "We must do something before it is too late."
"Have you heard from the others?" Wanda asked her.
"Tony informed that they were on their way back, they should be arriving soon. I suggest you go get yourself dressed. We leave at midnight."
The twins looked at each other, silently communicating.
"I've lost a lot of friends because of the Trask family, and it pains me to know that I still haven't done anything about it. I want my people--our people--to live in a world where we can live as equals to the humans," she paused, aware of the tears that threatened to fall. "I want that world for you," she finished, looking directly at Wanda. "You, and other's like you, deserve nothing less."
Her hand reached up to touch Wanda's young face, and Emma saw something familiar in her eyes, something she used to see in herself: hope.
"We leave at midnight," Wanda repeated, and Emma looked up to Pietro, who was giving her a stern look. But she knew he'd do anything his sister did, even if he didn't agree.
As the twins walked out of the lab, Sapphire walked in. The woman in blue looked like a story people would hear of great warriors who fought battles no one could possibly imagine. That is the presence Sapphire gave off, and it was both intimidating and enchanting.
"Do you plan on killing my daughter's father?" she asked Emma, her bright blue eyes holding Emma's gaze.
"If the opportunity presents itself, then yes."
"Good," she said, twirling a stream of her blue fire around her finger. "Katarina possesses control over her mutation, she just doesn't realize it yet. So I wouldn't go into this fight expecting her to be a leader."
"I would never expect something so grand for such a young mutant, you of all people should know that."
Sapphire smiled, nodding her head. "You've heard of my days as a mutant trainer, I assume."
"Of course, who hasn't? But, now it makes sense why you stopped." Emma took a seat, remembering the stories Sebastian used to tell her of the cunning mutant named Sapphire. The stories never left her memory.
"Becoming a mother was the best thing to happen to me, even if I wasn't there to watch her grow. She's still my daughter."
"So you'll do anything to protect her, right?" Sapphire furrowed her brows, and Emma looked away.
"Are you worried that I'll let my old feelings for my husband get in the way? Because if that is what you're insinuating, then I suggest you stall that treaturous train of thought." Sapphire crossed her arms, letting out a calm breath before looking back at Emma. "He's a dangerous man, Emma Frost, and I will do everything I can to help you and the others stop him."
Emma wouldn't know what to expect, not until the very moment they were face to face with Trask. That time would come soon, and all she could think about was killing Trask with her very own diamond fingers.
***************************
A/N: *dramatic screaming in the background*
I'm low-key terrified to write the fight scene that's about to go down, but let's all hope and pray our favs make it out alive.... lol.
Also, be sure to check out my Bucky Barnes short story! I'll be posting the second chapter tomorrow:)