||Please forgive me when I break your heart.||
She felt their energy before they stepped into the jet, and Wanda pulled the headphones down and listened as the voices of the other mutants got closer and closer.
Bruce was slumped against the seat beside her, and she suddenly realized the blanket covering her body—Bruce's blanket.
She stood up and walked over to the back end of the jet, and she saw them—the mutants, who carried Sharon's lifeless panther body. Even under the dark sky, Wanda could see the extraordinary lavender coat that covered the panther. Even without life, she was stunning.
Havok and Sunspot carried Sharon into the jet carefully, and Wanda moved slowly towards them as they set her down on the table in the middle. Her panther body was stained in her own blood, and the piece of metal or steel or whatever the hell it was was still stuck inside of her, and all Wanda wanted to do was pull it out and relieve her of that pain she no longer felt.
"She'll be shifting back to her human form soon," Havok said through the thick silence. Her eyes met his, and she could swear she saw a thin line of tears in his eyes. The other mutants gathered outside of the jet, some of them coming in to sit down and rest. Their faces were long with exhaustion and sadness, but for some odd reason, Wanda found herself walking to the storage part of the jet, where the team kept bottled water and first aid supplies. The mutants were scratched and sliced and bloodied in places Wanda couldn't even imagine, so she walked over to them and began handing out supplies to clean them up.
It was the least she could do. Because it was either that, or stare at Sharon's lifeless panther and sulk in that grief she still felt bubbling inside of her.
Havok stood beside Sharon the entire time, and Wanda walked up to him to hand him a bottled water, he didn't even look at her. She wasn't sure what their relationship was like, but in those few times she saw them interacting, they were always arguing with each other.
"She was a pain in my ass," he finally spoke, his voice hoarse and deep. Wanda walked over beside him, staring at the deep cut on his neck, the blood still slightly spilling out. She would have to patch it up, maybe even talk to Bruce about it needing stitches, but he continued on. "The only reason I gave her such a hard time was because she was the only one in our group who I knew didn't judge me for who I was. She never mentioned my struggle with my mutation, or even joked about it, because I think she knew how self-conscious I was. And yet, I still gave her a hard time."
Havok ran his hand down Sharon's nose, touching her whiskers in the process. Her panther body was strongly built, and there were scars beneath her fur that Wanda could see; signs of past battles she fought in.
"Sit down," she told him, and he obliged, his eyes still focused on Sharon. Wanda had to pull down part of his uniform to get a good angle on his neck, and he didn't even flinch when she applied disinfectant to his wound, cleaning up all of the blood. From what she could tell, he didn't need stitches, so she placed a thick bandage on his cut and proceeded to clean off the rest of his scratches.
"What did you do to us?," he said after minutes of silence. She stopped working for a second, looking at his face before continuing on. "One moment I was fighting, the next I was frozen in time. I couldn't even move an inch."
"Mental manipulation is the best way I can describe it," she said to him, turning his face to hers so that she could wipe away the blood on his left brow. "My abilities are a bit complicated."
"You really are a witch, aren't you?"
"Did you doubt my abilities?" she asked, half offended.
"I doubted the I-can-show-you-your-fears thing, but now, after what you made me see and feel, I have no doubt you can destroy anyone with the flick of your finger. Pretty bad-ass actually." She smiled to herself, wiping a final swipe across his chin, then sat back on her heels. His face was clean, save the fresh scratches and cuts lining his neck and cheek. He was a handsome man, not much older than her, and she felt herself frown when she watched as his eyes darkened again.
She left him alone, the cloud of sadness he was radiating too strong for Wanda to endure.
The majority of the mutants were gathered outside, still standing around, still high off of their own adrenaline. They all turned to look at her when she stepped out, and she worried that they were angry with her for using her magic on them. But one by one, they walked up to her, grabbing her hand and shaking it—silent thank you's.
"More of us would have died if it weren't for you," a girl told her, the wings on her back fluttering against the rigid wind. "I didn't know Sharon that well, but she was a hell of a fighter. One of the best I think." The girl turned away before Wanda could say anything in return, and the wings on the girl's back fluttered into her skin, disguising themselves as a tattoo.
The cold wind felt like icy splinters on her skin, and she hurried back inside of the jet and grabbed blankets from the storage unit, handing them out to the mutants who were inside. Bruce was still slumped in his seat, his mouth agape. She pulled his blanket off from where she previously was sitting, and placed it over him.
She cowered over him, her fingers brushing the hair out of his closed eyes. Then, ever so gently, sent a stream of her hex into his head, pushing him deeper into his sleep. She knew if he was awake, he'd try and stop her from leaving.
___
They hovered above the factory building, watching as Emma and other crept towards it, closer and closer. Tony kept his eyes on the opening the tunnel, where Natasha and Steve soon emerged, and then they were all together again.
Tony and Vision flew down to meet with Steve and the others, ever so quietly, then without making too much noise, they all greeted each other, but Emma held a certain expression that worried Tony. He knew very well how close Emma was to Catseye, and it was no surprise that her beautiful face raged with anger—cold, silent anger.
He was about to approach her, but then a raging scream erupted from the factory, and Tony's skin crawled at the sound of pain and fear. Steve and Natasha were running immediately, the other's hesitated, waiting for Emma's order. She took a step, and the others followed, but she raised her hand, forcing them to stop. He waited, watching, observing the White Queen's actions, cautious of every move she made.
"Pietro will join me, but you will stay out here. I can't lose any of you." They all looked at her, and Pietro joined her at her side, and the other's just bowed their heads, taking the order from their leader. But Tony could see the tightness in their faces, trying their best to stand back and not follow.
He wanted to tell her he was sorry for her loss, but he didn't know how to say it. The words fumbled in his head for a minute straight, before he realized she had already begun walking for he factory. Vision stood by his side, waiting for him, and he grunted and took for the sky, Vision following.
They flew up high enough to hide behind the thick fog, then they lowered down, landing like feathers on the roof. Tony and Vision would go in from the top, and the others would enter the factory from the bottom. He didn't know what to expect, or what he would do if he walked in and saw Trask nothing but ash and bone.
Tony's armor clanked against the roof of the factory, and he lightened his steps as best as he could before ripping open the locked door that led down. Vision followed him, a few steps behind, guarding Tony for some reason. They descended the stairs as quietly as they could, and when they reached the first floor, Tony could feel is skin growing hot from the heat that was coming from inside.
Blue and gold flames circled around Trask, the flames lashing out as if trying to bite him. The flames were dangerous—their fire was dangerous, and Tony scrambled his thoughts away as he focused on his breathing.
Then he opened the door.
___
Natasha tightened her grip on her gun, her shoulder leaning lightly against the door that led into the factory.
Steve was across from her, his shield in his hands, and she could smell the heat of the flames as they still lingered on the vibranium. If his fingers were burning up from holding his shield, he wasn't showing it, and so she checked the ammo in her gun, even though she knew she had plenty left, and looked straight at Steve.
Emma and Pietro were beside her, and the silver hair of the boy was glistening so brightly that Natasha actually worried Katarina and Sapphire could see it from inside.
"On 3," Steve whispered into his comm, and she knew Tony and Vision were already at the opposite end of the first floor, waiting for Steve's call. "1...2...," a deep breath, and she held her gun so tightly her skin began to burn. "3."
Steve kicked the door down, sending it flying across the room, and Natasha slid down on her knees, taking in every possible hiding spot in a matter of seconds.
Trask was kneeling on the ground, surrounded by a circle of fire, and he looked beat up, tired and helpless. Katarina and her mother stood unfazed by their entrance, along with Tony and Vision's. Natasha knelt behind a flipped table, her gun pointed straight at Sapphire's head. She had no intention of shooting the woman, but that dark side of herself she tried to repress smiled grimly. That dark side wanted to shoot Sapphire, not only for hurting Bucky, but for not sticking to the plan and ruining everything.
"Leave us be!" Katarina shouted, her words too loud. "We'll take care of him alone!"
"You don't want to do this, kid," Tony said from the other end of the room. He lifted his mask, showing a sweat stained face, and Vision stood behind, looking bored. "You don't want to hurt him."
"Tony!" Trask pleaded, standing up and reaching out. "Oh thank god! You have to take that monster somewhere, not with police but with the government, to someone who will know what to do with her." He was talking about Sapphire, and all she did was chuckle at how desperate he sounded.
Natasha looked back at Pietro, who was scowling at Trask, and Emma who's skin was completely covered in that beautiful diamond skin of hers. With the fire glowing hot and bright, they made her shine perfectly, sending slivers of light all around the room.
"Trask, cut the bullshit. I know all about your robots and your plan to kill innocent people. Did you honestly think all of my visits were because I liked your company? You should know better." Tony stepped closer, but Katarina intervened, and he took a cautious step back. "We'll take him, and you will never have to see him again."
Katarina gave her mother a nervous glance, and Natasha stood up from her position behind the table and stepped to the left, sticking to the shadows. She knew if things got out of hand, she would have to take a clear shot from somewhere hidden. She also knew she had no chance against Katarina or Sapphire, not with their flames.
"You Avengers will try and save everyone, won't you? Even the filth that walks the streets of your cities. If it has a heartbeat, it lives." Sapphire moved closer to Trask, the flames surrounding him opening up as if to greet her. Natasha's skin crawled at the sigh of it, but she kept taking small steps, trying her best to go unnoticed.
"We had a plan," Steve told her, and he kept his shield in front of himself, aware that she could strike him at any moment. "You were supposed to fight with the others and help out. If you were there, maybe no one would have gotten hurt."
"Someone got hurt?" Katarina said, in a voice a lot softer than before.
"Sharon," Emma spoke from behind Steve. Her diamond skin glowed as she moved forward, the flames begging to lash out and attack her, but they couldn't hurt her, and Natasha felt herself go still as she watched the White Queen step through the line of fire guarding Trask. The gold and blue flames attacked, but Emma barely paid any mind to them. "There's a piece of your robot lodged in her stomach, a piece of your creation." Emma looked straight at Trask, and he had no choice but to stand his ground, other wise he'd be forced to step into the flames behind him.
Natasha forced herself to move, and she got into a position where she had a clear view of Katarina and Sapphire. If necessary, she'd take the shot.
___
Pietro didn't know what to do, or where to look or what to say. The gold and blue flames surrounding Trask looked and felt evil, and he wasn't even that close to them.
When he did decide where to look at, it was on Katarina, and he felt something strange turn inside of him. She didn't look like the girl he was talking to just a few hours ago, or the girl who came down every day to give him his medicine and food, or even the girl who talked about names all of the time and told him how happy she was to be working with Bruce Banner.
She looked like a girl who lived and breathed evil, and it didn't suit her.
"We're taking Trask alive, and I suggest you stand down before things get out of hand," Steve said, his voice loud and deep enough to make anyone think twice about going up against him. For a split second, Pietro saw a different side of Steve too: the soldier who was strategic and deathly calm.
Pietro prepared to run straight straight for Trask, stretching his legs without bringing himself too much attention. He was fast enough to run through the flames without getting hurt, and he was fast enough to get Trask out of the building before things went sideways. But he wasn't prepared for his sister, or the rage she held when she stormed in through the door behind him, her eyes glowing red with her magic.
Oh no, he was not ready for that at all.
**************************
A/N: Unpredictable Wanda is my favorite Wanda:)
Ooohhhh so close to the end!!! Now, before you worry that I'm dragging this out too long, just remember I have to set this up for the sequel, and I've already decided what to do and how to end it, so no worries!
I'll be updating again this weekend:D