(Taylor's Version)

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No sixteen-year-old boy could have a room this clean.

Erik didn’t have many interactions with teenagers. And the students at the institute didn’t really count. Outside of the members of the X-Men, of course. They were usually too intimidated by his presence, and their teachers did their best to prevent them from sharing any room with Erik.

The closest experience he had with teenagers came from Wanda and Pietro.

Both were nineteen when they burst into his life; still children, if anyone had asked Erik, though the twins would have vehemently disagreed. They had burst into his path and were seeking to fight for a cause. His cause. Hungry for justice and following their own agenda.

Which was none other than being close to their father, who wasn’t even aware of their existence. But that’s a story for another time.

The Brotherhood had never stayed anywhere for long. It wasn't possible to stick around for extended periods of time. Governments were always breathing down their necks, waiting for them to slip. Most of their hideouts were either abandoned buildings or cheap hostels that didn't ask questions.

And in every single one of those places, Pietro left his room a whole warpath without fail.

Erik did try, at least, to guide him into being somewhat organized. With Wanda complaining in his ear about her brother’s mess and begging for a room separate from him, Erik had been left without much of a choice but to push the speedster to be more considerate of his dirty laundry and discarded trash.

He quickly realized that it would be easier to pull the metal crowns of someone’s teeth one by one than to get the white-haired menace to pick up the torn Twinkie wrappers that he shoved between the bed frame and the mattress.

Thankfully, those habits had changed as he had grown into adulthood. But now, instead of stepping on candy wrappers, Erik had the misfortune of meeting his dismay at the hands of tiny, colorful pieces of plastic that his son tended to misplace around their home.

Erik wouldn’t have had it any other way, though. The pain was but a small price to pay.

The pantry that had only the necessary items for him to eat through the week was now full of boxes of sweets and chips. All of the brands from different places, sometimes stocked in the form of color coding or just shoved in to fall all over the moment the door was opened.

The burgundy couch in the living room, just by the fireplace, had been barren of pillows or any sort of decor. But that had changed when Pietro had taken on knitting and sewing one day, and Erik was quite sure that there were at least three or four quilts tucked in each room of the cabin.

There was always an unwashed plate on the sink. There were always empty water bottles piling up by the stairs.

Muddy prints on the carpets.

Shoes thrown haphazardly by the main door.

Unfolded clothes on the corner of Pietro’s bed. Something breaking in the hallway.

Loud music and stomping and wind slamming against his face and messing up Erik’s hair-

It meant calm. It meant that Pietro was comfortable, and he would take that for the rest of his days on this planet. For as long as Pietro wanted.

But Billy’s room was nothing like Pietro’s.

There were plenty of his boxes left unopened. He could feel different types of metal inside them. Some mixed with cheap materials, and others were purer. Like some sort of plates, even a candle holder. Probably related to some of his rituals, as Pietro had mentioned that the boy was an avid practitioner of the occult arts.

Such similarities made his chest and throat tighten up.

His eldest daughter may not have been trained or taken part in such practices in the same manner as Billy, but that did not mean she hadn’t taken an interest in it. Her thirst for knowledge and curiosity for the unknown wasn’t something that went without notice. And it had only grown after-

…After Vision was gone. And it had become worse after Westview.

Erik could hardly forget her gaze. Something so vacant, yet consuming. It still haunted him when he allowed himself to think about that night.

──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ────

“Non carni loquor, sed regno quod ultra visum est.” 

The air felt as if it had become a crushing weight, pressing down on his lungs with every breath he took. Making each step he took toward the closed door of his daughter’s room feel like some wrong chore. Filling him with dread and panic.

Her voice was wrong. It was hers, but something else accompanied her.

Something twisted-

“Silentium clavis fiat. Umbra porta fiat. Cogitatio via fiat.”

The doorknob had already turned on its own. The hinges of the door clattered against the wood, screws about to pop out at any moment as Erik shoved the door open with his own weight. The instinct of using physical force over his own powers won by the dread curling in his gut.

Levitation wasn’t something uncommon to him. Keeping his feet off the ground was like second nature, and that applied to his daughters-

But the sight of Wanda reading from a burned-off book, with blackened fingertips twisting and curling, hovering over a pentagram that seemed carved on the floorboards by something sharp, smelling of smoke and ash as wisps of red and black lashed around her, made every item made of metal tremble in the room.

The nearest metal object shot toward the book before any conscious thought caught up with him. A distorted wail came from it as a small jewelry box collided with it and sent it flying to a corner of the room. Slamming it shut and kept it pinned by the box.

Wanda’s sharp glare snapped towards him. An intense anger that made the wood around them croon and creak. Her hair flowed around the air, and her fingers were ready to wipe back at him-

But it simmered down to an empty stare. As if strings that kept her afloat had been cut off. 

Erik’s arms were suddenly full with her limp body. His knees hit the center of the pentagram painfully as Wanda’s powers stopped suffocating the air around them. 

She didn’t cry. She didn’t move. She was just still and muttering against his shoulder, staring at the corner where the book had been flung to.

“He can find them,” She mumbled vacantly. “They’re out there. He can find them.”

And she repeated that. Over and over.

Over and over again.

And over again.

And over-

──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ────

“He’s still sleeping?” 

The scent of rain reached him before Storm’s voice interrupted his pondering. Her posture was tense, and a deep frown was on her face as she peered over Erik’s shoulder and examined the occupied mattress.

“It’s been hours already,” She pointed out, worry in her voice. “He even missed dinner.”

It wasn't unusual to see her checking on the children, but Billy was a special case for everyone under this roof. And with Laura missing since last night, Storm was driving herself near mad with worry. She knew her little girl could handle herself, but that didn't stop her from thinking of all the possibilities and scenarios reeling through her mind.

The crackling rain falling outside was telling enough of her state.

He hummed in short agreement, stepping deeper into the room, being careful to keep his footing as light as possible until he reached the side of the bed.

The boy was curled into a fetal position, the thick blanket kicked off to his calves. Still wearing the same clothes he had been using since that morning. His dark brows twisted in his sleep, and Erik was sure that he was muttering even while deep into slumber.

Carefully, the old man untangled the blanket from his grandson’s legs and covered him up to his neck. He froze when the boy moved in his sleep, but his fear was gone when Billy simply settled down under the covers. Leaving a hand out, palm up, over his pillow.

‘So young.’ His mind couldn’t help but say. ‘So young and carrying so much already.’

Erik had only known suffering since he was just a boy. His children didn’t get to live a life of freedom. Their innocence had been cut short by his own mistakes and the world they lived in. And he would live with the consequences of his choices and atone for them-

But his grandchildren would not live like that.

Not on his watch.

“Let him rest,” He declared. A soft expression that was gone in a breath. “Children need it. Some more than others.”

Storm lifted her brow, crossing her arms as her gaze drifted away from Billy to the quite empty room. Noticing the clear lack of permanence in the bare walls and the untouched bed on the right side.

Her eyes narrowed suddenly, finally wandering into the room and standing by the empty bed. 

Bringing up her hand to her chin, she slowly turned around to look back at Billy’s bed and then returned her attention to the other one. Lowering her gaze to the floor with a curious hum, and making Erik frown.

“Something wrong?” He questioned lowly.

Storm glanced at him over her shoulder, putting her hands on her hips and sighing with a shake of her head. “Just some odd thoughts. It isn’t of great importance.”

Erik blinked, squaring up his shoulders as he slightly turned in her direction. “It is of importance if it’s bothering you this much.”

“The distance between the beds,” She admitted, already knowing that Erik would not back down. “It’s quite long. And I don’t remember the room being this broad.”

With quiet steps, Storm put one foot in front of the other and counted on her head. Erik’s attention was on her the whole time.

“Seven,” She said once she finally reached Billy’s bed. “Seven feet apart. That’s too far.”

Erik hummed lowly, taking in the space with a slow trail of his gaze. Eyes crinkling on the corners as he squinted at the empty bed. An uncomfortable shriveling sensation prickled on his gut as he stared at it, but he didn't part his gaze away.

"Pietro mentioned," He said. "That he has been practicing with his magic. He probably moved everything around to do it."

But Storm didn't look entirely convinced by his words. If anything, she looked even more skeptical. Her pinched brows and tense shoulders were evidence enough. She knew that nothing could be explained so simply. Not with Erik's family.

If Erik knew something, he was keeping it to himself.

Any rebuttal from her part was lost on her throat by the echoing knock coming from the entrance of the room, making the two of them snap their heads at Gambit, who panted as if he had been running to get here.

The panicked look on his face did not put them at ease.

"We got calls," he blurted. "From de Justice League. Big Blue wants a word wit' us."

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There's a widespread superstition among healthcare workers that even the most skeptical people respect.

Never say out loud how 'slow' or 'quiet' a shift is going.

Harry Smith wasn't superstitious, but he wasn't stupid. With all the rotations he had been on from the start of his third year, he knew better than to test those waters. His attendings would always praise him for following the rules and orders to a T, and he would be damned if he fell from grace for acting like a cocky newbie who acted as if he knew about everything.

So Harry knew that he wasn't at fault for this absolute shit storm.

The Gotham General Hospital had the reputation of being hell on earth for any medical student that has gotten assigned to do their rotations there. The staff was filled with cold-blooded psychopaths that chose to work there willingly, despite the constant threats that the building had received from the city's gangs and villains. And the patients were made out of pure nightmare fuel, adding to piles and piles of cases of harassment towards workers and the constant watch of the health care department due to all the variants of reactions to the gases and venom that had been thrown around and exposed for years to the civilians.

The tales of the first hit of fear gas in the streets still work like a charm to put to the test whoever thinks they've got the guts to work in this hospital.

Maybe Harry was a bit of a psychopath too. Since he was still here despite all the red flags. Or maybe he just got used to all the freaky-ness that comes with working in a place like Gotham.

However, this night seemed to be the real test for his calling.

"Can someone get Ortho down here?"

"Call the attending!"

"Two units O-negative, now!"

"We got a Code Gray on the ER-"

"Get anesthesia down here!"

"Start compressions-"

Any other night, the loud commands and shouts on the bay were something he could process and pay clear attention to. He would be jumping around from place to place, fetching and calling and assisting in any case he could.

But somewhere in between working with the victims of the bombings since they were received in at eleven in the morning and having little to no breaks to just breathe, his head stopped tuning in to the voices of his colleagues and just blocked whatever was happening around him.

The screams.

The crying.

His attending panicking. The nonstop ringing of the phone-

He needed a smoke. Just a quick one. Not like anyone would notice among all the chaos going around. He would be in and out in just a minute.

He just needed to get out now, before he lost his mind.

The hidden corner by the side of the ambulance bay was his favored spot. Just out of the sight of the public and compact enough to block some of the noise that came from there.

Taking a drag from his cigarette, crouching down while staring blankly at the puddle of rain just so he could ignore the specks of blood on his scrubs, Harry let the smoke burn down his throat and fill his lungs. Releasing it with a heavy sigh and a cough.

"Shitty fucking night." He muttered to himself, blinking away the deep bone tiredness that threatened to take over him. Pinching his arm as he took another hit. "I haven't even taken a piss-"

"Stupid chair! C'mon- just freaking move-"

The pitched complaints and rusted creaking of metal coming from the mouth of the alley got his attention. But he didn't make any effort to move, since all he saw was a nurse pushing a wheelchair with a slumped patient on it.

The nurse's scrubs were wrinkled. The hem of her pants was soaked. And she wore a scarf over her head, accompanied by a generic facemask. Struggling to push the wheelchair and grumbling quite loudly.

"Seriously? Another patient?" He groaned in his thoughts. "They don't even have the decency to send them in an ambulance? Fucking private hospitals-"

"Take the brakes off, girl." He called, startling the shit out of her. Her eyes wide and shoulders up to her ears. He gestured to the locks of the wheels lazily with his finger. "Old model. You need to pull the tiny lever on the side of the wheel."

She glanced down at the chair, inclining her body to do as he said, and beamed when the brakes snapped up. She gave him a thumbs up and wheeled the chair forward.

"Thanks, man!" She shouted, finally moving away from his sight rather quickly.

Harry shook his head, rolling his eyes, thinking to himself about how they just let anyone in nursing school these days. He was dreading having to handle nurses like that when he finally got his doctor title. Maybe he would just open a private clinic. It would certainly be less of a hassle.

He could have thought of his future more, but the hard, blunt hit that he got on his neck knocked him right out. His body crumbled on the wet concrete as raindrops fell upon him.

————————》✧《—————————

"Since when do you know how to hack?" Kitty whispered, staring at the screen with wide eyes as she gripped the back of the spinning chair Jubilee was sitting on.

Jubilee huffed amusedly, clicking away on the keyboard without separating her view from the computer. "Please, a mall security system is more secure than whatever this is. The ID card's doing most of the heavy lifting. After that, it's basically smooth sailing."

"Huh," Kitty blinked. "But what about, like, restrictions? It's not like everyone can get access. Even less some random doctor."

"We'll deal with it when we get there." Maximoff interrupted, all the way from the door, peering carefully behind the small, rectangular glass window that gave a clear view of the hall.

Unlike her made-on-the-go plan to get into Arkham Asylum, Maximoff had thought carefully about this new plan.

It wasn't the first time she had gone to this hospital, but the psych ward and the clinics were on two different floors with completely different layouts. And the obvious detail that she'd only been there once wasn't helping as well.

Thankfully, Kitty was the perfect person for this plan.

The clinic would be closed by this hour, located in the farthest office on the right side of the fifth floor as soon as you stepped out of the main elevator. The whole floor would be empty, as it only served for the medical offices that worked on normal day hours. Meaning that the only thing they had to worry about was how to enter the hospital and avoid the security cameras.

And, curiously enough, the answer to that was stealing.

The first thing they did when they reached the surface was basically ransack the nearest store they found, after checking that there was no one inside or watching them. The streets being empty did not help with their nerves, but there was little time to worry about that.

──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ────

"Haven't touched one of these in ages." John laughed, perched atop the crystal counter as he tuned several walkie-talkies. "Bloody hell... brings back a few memories, eh?"

Kitty sighed, hitting an old radio that wailed that annoying interference noise, trying to get it to work instead of sounding as if someone was talking underwater. Lance took it off her hands before she broke it, getting a pout from her in return.

"We can worry about news later, Kat." He offered.

She crossed her arms and frowned. "We don't know what we are walking into! For all we know, our faces could be plastered all around Gotham-

"Then I hope they used my good side." He deadpans, which Kitty ignores.

"-and people could be going in some kind of witch hunt and-"

A loud burp startled her out, making her glare at John. The blonde boy was snickering alongside Jubilee, who was holding a bunch of scrubs and some sunglasses over her head with the tag still on, while their fellow speedster flushed red with an empty liter bottle of soda in her hands.

In fact, there were several empty bottles scattered at her feet. Along with chip bags and candy wrappers all over the floor.

The embarrassed look, accompanied by the traces of chocolate and crumbs around her mouth, did not help her case.

"Sorry," She uttered. "I ate too fast."

Lance rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's focus."

The group gathered up together quickly. Jubilee put the pile of clothes on the counter, narrowly avoiding having John drown with it, as he jumped off with all the walkie-talkies in his arms. They started grabbing anything that could be their size.

"Are we sure we wanna split up?" John questioned, pulling on a new shirt and throwing the old one away. "Lance and I could watch the first floor-"

"The fewer of us inside, the better." Maximoff interrupted, her back turned as she fixed a dark cloth over her head, keeping the curls hidden from view. "Jubilee can handle tech stuff. Kitty can go through walls, and I can get us in and out if shit goes down."

"It's for the best that you and Lance stay outside," Jubilee added with a shrug. "You guys have the easy task, after all."

Lance scoffed. "Since when is stealing a car an easy task?"

Jubilee raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you have a juvie record for doing carjacking?"

"I was framed!" He hissed, ears red and shoulders tense.

"You got a juvie record?" Maximoff asked quietly, slowly turning her head towards him.

Lance glared at her, the shelves around the store slightly shaking as he gestured his fist at her. "Don't give me that judgy tone-"

"Nobody's judging!" Kitty blurted, swooping in and patting his fist, lowering it. A smile came to her lips when he sighed deeply, and everything stopped trembling around them. "Just chill, okay? She didn't know."

"And with how everything’s been going," John snorted. "We’ll all have our own bloody juvie records by the end of this."

"Okay!" Maximoff grimaced, clapping once with her eyebrows up to her hairline. "Can we not talk about going to jail?! I'd rather not bring that shit with my thoughts, thank you!"

“Bit scared, are ya?” John teased.

"No. But I will not tempt the universe with my shitty luck!"

──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ────

It wasn't an overly complicated plan to follow.

But if something were to fail, all of them could get into deeper shit.

First, they got divided into two groups. John and Lance would stay outside on the nearest street. The girls would be the ones to infiltrate the building. Since Kitty could just trespass through the walls, she just had to follow Jubilee and Maximoff close behind. The other two girls would pass as a nurse and a patient through the Ambulance bay, since it was the closest entrance to the elevator, and they would meet there.

And, thanks to Maximoff's quick fingers and Jubilee's guidance, steal a nurse's ID badge. Just in case.

And maybe Maximoff had a bit of fun with pickpocketing, but let's not delve into that-

Second, they would do a quick update with the boys as they reached the fifth floor. Once they got there, Maximoff would do a quick run around the floor to make sure it was clear and find where the security cameras were located. Then, it would be Kitty's part to phase through the cameras' circuits and shut them off while using the blind spots of the lenses.

The third part was Lance and John's turn. As soon as they got the signal that the girls were done with the cameras, they would move to the next street to find their transportation. Having to be quick and quiet so they wouldn't draw attention to themselves before the girls could make it out of the hospital.

And then, the hard part came along.

The Milbury Clinic was a small office. When Kitty had unlocked the door for Maximoff and Jubilee to enter, they got the surprise of finding only two chairs in the waiting room. The receptionist counter was tucked on the side, and a door that probably led to the consultation room.

There was no decoration on the walls, except for the round clock over the reception desk. Not even some of those plastic plants could be seen around to give the place a bit of life. It was pure gray and white, giving them an uneasy feeling even while walking in the dark.

The absence of cameras did not help ease the sense of wrongness in their bones.

And here they were now, with Jubilee neck deep into the computer's archive after Kitty had ventured into the consultation room and come back empty-handed.

"These guys don't know how to organize a freaking desktop-" Jubilee grumbled, brows furrowed and clicking around with the mouse on another folder. Sighing harshly when it opened to another stupid receipt of a consult.

"Maybe try this one-"

"Already did!"

"Then try the one next to it-"

"Kitty, don't touch the-"

Maximoff's attention wandered off to the clock, noticing that the long stick was pointing to the number three.

She knew that the hours were a complete mess on her head. Time itself was a mess for her, personally. Moments either passed way too slowly or way too fast, leaving no in between. The only ways she had to know that time had passed were either by how hungry or tired she was. And at this very moment, she was both, so she knew an awful lot of time had passed by.

The last time she had a decent meal had been the breakfast at Warren's place. Right before Bruce had picked her up to go to Leslie's clinic.

Before she decided to throw a tantrum at Wayne and told her to leave her alone.

Looking back at it… It felt stupid now.

So stupid.

She had blocked everything the moment Rio had said those words. She hadn't even processed Wayne's reaction and what she had screamed at Rio. All her mind could center on was the detail that Wayne had kept that to herself, and it was just stupid-

Everything that had come after had been hell.

That 'lie' barely counted as one. She didn't have to react like that. She should've stayed. She should've given her a chance to explain instead of running away because, because, because-…

Why did she run away? Why didn't she just listen?

Running. It was all she knew. It was all she could do. It's what felt natural. What felt safe.

Running her mouth. Non-stop thoughts.

Running from her problems instead of facing them head-on, and even so-

It wasn't enough.

It wouldn't be enough, because look at what running got her into! A psychopath on her tail, her friend gone, and risking lives when she should stop bringing people into her mess-

Was that why Wayne hadn't reached out? Did she realize how much of a failure she truly was? How little she knew of owning up to her mistakes? Of how life worked?

How much of a fake was she really?

Because Maximoff was a fake. She hadn't lived a real life. Her memories were all scattered. Made up. Just like her feelings. She never had a real body. A real thought. A real sensation. None of that had been real-

She wasn't real. She wasn't supposed to be real. But she was still here.

…And that had to mean something, right?

There had to be a meaning. A purpose. A reason why she was here and not Wayne. Because if there wasn't, what would all this be for?

Why?

What is her purpose?

What is her meaning? She had been just a way for her mother to deal with- with- with- with-

With grief. Mom was grieving.

Why was she grieving? Who was she grieving for?

Someone important. Someone worth enough to do- to do- to do-

Who was it? Who? Who could be so important to-

…What did her mother do?

'No. Mom did the hex.' A childish voice pireced through the back of her head. 'The hex was done because she was sad. And she was sad because Dad was-'

'Dad was-'

'Dad was go-'

'Where was Dad? He knew why Mom was sad. He said it was grown-up stuff. That he would handle it and-'

"One, two, three-"

"What are you two up to?"

"Pa, hush! You are distracting us!" "Now we have to start over again!"

"Sorry, sorry! But I can't help but be concerned when there's too much silence around the house… especially with both of you inside."

"We want to count how far away our room is from Mom and yours!"

"Oh, I see… but why would you want to do that?"

"Because Billy is a scardy cat and says that your room is too far to go to when he gets nightmares at night, and I'm proving him wrong!"

"I am not a scardy cat, you are!"

"Nuh uh!" "Yuh uh!"

"Alright, alright, you two- enough! (Y/N), it's not nice to tease your brother like that. And Billy, we don't yell. "

"Sorry, Dad…" "Yeah, sorry."

"Apology accepted. Now, about those nightmares, your mother and I are just a room away. There's only seven feet between us; that's little to nothing! So, if you get those silly nightmares, just count to seven and knock on our door, aright?"

"Count to seven?" "How does that help?"

"Well, you see, there have been multiple studies where it has been proven that counting serves as a great method of reducing stress and helping with anxiety. Something as simple as counting can put your brain into a relaxing-"

"Aaaand we lost him." "Thereee he goes."

"Holy shit."

Jubilee's voice was but a faint whisper, nearly lost by distance. But it was enough to get Maximoff dashing to her side, taking the first chance to ignore the pounding between her ears and focus on the real problem at the moment.

The light of the screen did not help soothe the growing headache. And much less its content.

She wasn't sure if what Jubilee had clicked on was a single folder or a digital cloud, but the long list of documents with odd letters and numbers gave her the feeling that she had found what they were looking for. Which made her stomach twist as Jubilee scrolled down several times, making more documents appear.

"Should we click on one?" Kitty gulped, eyes stuck to the screen and unblinking. "Just to, like, make sure it's-"

Jubilee hesitated, fingers twitching around the mouse as her lips thinned. "I really don't know. It could trigger something, like an alarm or a passcode- it could let him know that we are-"

"If that was the case, we wouldn't have found them."

The girls stared at Maximoff. She just gave them a heavy sigh, kneeling on the ground and lightly shoving the rolling chair to the side so she could have some space in front of the screen and use the mouse.

"He is not an idiot, that's for sure." She explained. "And I am 99% certain that he would go as far as to get this completely eradicated from the systems as soon as possible-"

"Then how do we have access to it?" Jubilee questioned.

The speedster went silent for a moment. Her index hovered over the left button of the grey mouse, letting it fall and making the clicking echo around the room.

She could swear that her blood stopped rushing through her body at the sight of Bobby's picture on the file she had just entered. His expression in the photo alone made her nearly puke.

He looked younger. About twelve or thirteen. With an awkward bowl cut and eyes dimmed down. Staring at the camera lens with misery and looking all sorts of uncomfortable.

She could barely glance over the details written on the side of the scanned report before she clicked to return to the main list.

She clicked on another file. This time, it was a girl not older than seven. With a red stamp over her report that read as 'D E A C T I V A T E D'.

She went back and clicked on another. It had the same stamp. And so did the next three.

Artie Maddicks, eleven years old

Sarah Rushman, twenty-seven years old

Christine Johns, sixteen years old.

It wasn't long until she found Kitty's file. A small relief, going through them at the lack of the stamp on her report. But it was short-lived when Jubilee, John, and Lance's files also appeared.

"You got the pendrive?" Maximoff asked, finally cutting through the silence and extending her hand at Jubilee. The girl was startled for a second before scrambling to get the device out of her pocket and handing it to her.

Kitty took a shaky breath, hugging herself as she glanced between them and the monitor. "Looks like you were right. About, y'know, the files."

'Not exactly what I'm proud to be right on,' She couldn't help but think.

After putting the whole folder on the cloud of the drive and shoving it into her pants, Maximoff stood up from the ground, feeling her joints creak and pop, making her hiss and grip the desk tightly as her head spun. Closing her eyes for a moment so she wouldn't spill her guts all over the floor.

All that sugar she ate was now coming back up, and she was regretting every second of it.

"Call the guys," She heaved, massaging the top of her head over the scarf and turning to Jubilee and Kitty's direction. "Tell them to get the car on the back and to- Hey, what are you staring at?"

But they didn't answer. Kitty and Jubilee were too busy going pale and taking steps back while staring at Maximoff.

She would quickly realize they were not staring at her, but behind her.

Zipping to be behind them and pulling them towards the consult room, stopping just to yell at Kitty to put them through the door, Maximoff dared to look back as they phased together.

Cold, blue irises and plastic white skin, also phasing through the wall of the waiting room, stared back at her as Jubilee's screams processed through her ears. Losing sight of it as they made it safely into the room.

"Sentinels! We are so fucked!"

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

Tommy liked to make his sister laugh.

There were many reasons why he liked it. Like, for starters, her laugh was never the same one.

Depending on what she was laughing at or about, it would go higher or lower. A full-blown cackle or muffled giggling behind the sleeves of her shirts. And each one was just as important. But he would be lying if he didn't have a favorite one.

It was a pitchy one that started as snickering. One that she tried to disguise by clearing her throat, but it turned out impossible to do so. And that would lead to a sonorous laugh. One that would light up her face and bring out the life in her eyes.

That was the first sound Tommy had heard.

He wasn't sure when he became conscious or aware of his existence. All he knew was that he wanted to listen to more of that sound. And that he would do anything to get it as often as he could.

All he could do at first was observe. See what type of things would make her laugh or smile through her routine.

It was the simple things. Like a tight hug from Mom while blowing raspberries on her cheeks, or Uncle picking her up and hanging her upside down by her feet.

Messing around in the kitchen while ending up covered in flour or sauce.

Listening to Uncle's dramatic readings and funny voices.

Playing around under the sunlight on the porch.

She just laughed around life, and he was content with just watching it. As long as she kept laughing, he could wait until she would join him. It would happen eventually, after all.

But it didn't go like that.

Anger and fear weren't something he had seen around his family. Tommy had never felt it, because his sister had never felt it. It wasn't a concept to him since it wasn't for her.

All he knew and felt came from her, so he never experienced it.

Not until them.

With them, the laughter was gone. And Tommy wanted it back.

With them, Tommy met anger. And Tommy lashed back.

With them, all the good things were gone.

And Tommy started to hate.

His sister always seemed to breathe easier when they weren't around, even if she was sad about it. Even when she blamed herself for it.

Tommy couldn't get it. Why did she want to be with them? They didn't get her. They didn't try to.

They didn't ask her how she was doing.

They didn't stop her from hurting.

They didn't notice when she stopped smiling.

It was all their fault. They took her laugh away. She stopped dancing around the kitchen. She stopped singing to herself. She stopped smiling at nothing. They took all of that, and they didn't even notice it was gone.

Tommy would have given everything to be by her side. To be the person she would reach for and talk about her day. To sit by her side as she played that old song. To sit at the table. To read together. To yell at. To cry with. To be angry. To fight. To argue. To make up.

To laugh at her side, Tommy would do anything.

But he wasn't complete. He used to be, but he hasn't been a whole piece in a long time. A part of him had always been with his sister. Close to her chest and held when she needed the comfort of what reminded her of home. Her real home-

Tommy belonged there. With her. Never far away from each other. Always beside each other.

So it was obvious that he got upset when she no longer wore his ashes around her neck. And like any brother, he responded by pulling some… pranks. All completely harmless, of course!

At least, at first.

He never intended to harm her. He didn't want to cause her any pain or hurt her, but time passed. And with time, she had changed and changed, but something remained in him. All of that anger grew. Festered, even. His resentment became all he knew and all he could give back.

It had never meant to escalate to this point, but what could he do? Anger and fear were all he could hold onto. It was all that he had been surrounded by in that manor. What felt familiar, and suddenly it was all gone.

Replaced. Taken. Switched.

Someone wore his sister's skin. Someone breathed with her lungs. Used her limbs to walk, run, and just be.

But what made him snap was the laugh.

Brash. Boisterous. Nothing like hers. It came from deep in the gut instead of bubbling out in bright little bursts. It was like comparing the earth to the sky. Both beautiful, both entrancing, but never meant to be mistaken for one another. It aggravated Tommy to no end.

And it didn't help that The Boy at Tommy's side, now breathless while doubling over as he covered his mouth, had the same laugh that got on his nerves.

Even if that laugh was a nervous one.

He didn't bother with his name. It wasn't something Tommy cared for or felt curious about. All that mattered now was that finally, he got what he wanted. Even with all the obstacles on his way, he finally had his sister with him.

And she was evidently pissed off.

"You snaky bitch!" She screamed. Purple sparks shot from her hands as she wrangled with a strange item. Something like a cross with a loop on the top. Her hair lashed out in the air as she snarled at it. "Grow some fucking ovaries and come out!"

"You're gonna let her boss you around like that?" The Old Lady hissed at The Man in Black Robes, giving panicked looks all over the obscure gallery. As if something were about to pop out and attack her.

Tommy felt very tempted to do so. The annoyance bubbling on his sister's chest was all he needed as approval.

The Man in Black Robes simply glanced at her and shrugged, keeping his hands behind his back. "I will not interfere with my sister's business, as she has asked me to, Agatha."

She scoffed. "And bringing Billy-boy in here doesn't count?"

"He merely wandered into my realm." He offered, finally turning around and stepping away from her. "Nothing more and nothing else."

"Spreading lies now, brother?"

All the attention was directed to the newcomer who had appeared right before the tall man, his eyes glinting as he stared down at the pissed-off woman. The air around them thickened, refusing to back down from some invisible communication happening between them.

Something tugged at Tommy from the inside. Like a thin string. Pulled tense but ready to break if he tried to tug back.

Tommy knew The Woman in Green. He wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her, after all.

"Rio!" His sister growled, throwing the item across the room with a snap, narrowly missing the spooked Old Lady, who quickly dived and scrambled towards The Boy, grabbing his shoulder and taking cover behind him.

Stomping and pointing at The Woman in Green, his sister's voice rumbled against the dark walls of the gallery. Even his uneven shape seemed to tremble beneath the force of her words

"This is all on you, isn't it?! This is all your doing!" She accused.

The Woman in Green rolled her eyes with a scoff. Speaking with a bored drawl. "Which part of it? Because I did warn your mother about-"

"Cut the bullshit." She spat, finally standing in front of her after the man had taken a few steps back to be out of her way. Any trace of calm was gone from her body. "I'm not playing your game anymore."

"Oh?" The Woman in Green tilted her head as a grin spread on her face. "Are you really? Did you finally grow a spine, Wayne?"

Violet strikes cracked around her curled fists, eyes narrowing and slowly glowing with a hostile glare. Her chest rose and fell as she sucked in air deeply through her nose.

Then, a laugh came out from her lips. Growing louder and made her shoulders shake alongside it.

The Woman in Green's face fell. All her bravado dissolved into bafflement, her sharp eyebrows twisting in confusion at the sudden change of his sister's demeanor. Everyone seemed to be reacting the same way, too.

But Tommy knew what was happening. And he couldn't help but snicker to himself with clear excitement.

Indignation. Rage. Audacity. All mixed and ready to burst.

"And where is yours?" She probed, looking satisfied at the sudden tension on The Woman in Green's jaw. Then, she imitated the same tilt and grin at her as she chuckled.

"Are you even a God?" His sister grilled, gaining a hiss from both the old lady and the boy. But she didn't spare them a glance. "Acting all high and powerful, when all you do is mess with people who don't know any better. Does it help to make you feel better? Does it make you feel something-"

"Watch your mouth, girl." She cut in.

But his sister didn't back down. Not even when The Woman in Green's face morphed into a skull. In fact, she looked even more relaxed now that she was getting on The Woman in Green's nerves.

With her chin up, she stared directly at the empty sockets of The Woman in Green. "I have watched my mouth for a very long time, but you already knew that. Right? Death watches over all of us, after all."

"You know nothing!" Her voice was all rasp, scratching against every part of his being and making him quiver. "You know nothing about me or what my existence entails-"

"Show me then."

"(Y/N), wait!" The Boy nearly squeaked out. He tried to step forward, but The Old Lady stopped him with a hiss, holding him in place and giving The Boy a stern stare as he fumed at her.

The Skull Woman remained quiet. Her form was as still and firm as a marble statue. Even without her eyes, it was evident all of her attention was on her.

His sister took another step closer into The Skull Woman's space. Close enough to nearly brush with her finger the translucent fabric of the veil draping from the top of her head and down her shoulders.

"Show me, so I can understand." She declared, slicing through the silence. "Because all I know, from all I have seen until now, is that it was never about my father or my siblings… they were just a setback to your plans."

The Skull Woman hummed lowly. It sounded like clicking. "That's a way to put it. But you have to count yourself in there as well."

"Why?" She questioned, frown deepening. "Because I didn't die sooner? Because you couldn't collect Tommy's soul for some reason? Mine? Or was it something my mother did to spite you? Was it spite?"

"You are a protection witch." The words landed quietly. Soft. "You protect. It's natural to you, and that is your biggest flaw."

Something stirred in Tommy's center. He was used to being cold, but this sensation was somehow growing colder. Clawing up and consuming from the inside out. It made his shape shrivel up and twist.

What was it? Did it have a name? What could it be?

His sister's bitter expression did not help him understand what was happening.

Suddenly, she moved away from the woman, scrambling back to face The Man in Black Robes with wide eyes and a pleading tone in her voice as she put a hand over her chest. The pounding of her heart matched with each breath she took.

"Lord Morpheus," She gasped. "Please, would you help me return to the real world? I have to go back!"

"Did you find what you were looking for, little one?" He asked. Eyes glinting as he glanced at The Skull Woman. She just turned her head away.

(Y/N) slowly looked in Tommy's direction. Her eyes settled on his source of vision, unable to look any other way as she stepped towards him. And with each step she took, Tommy couldn't help but lean down in a more… suitable form.

The first thing she did was grab his hand. Way too twisted and way too cold, but she didn't seem bothered by it. He could feel it. He knew it.

"More than that," She breathed, eyes wet and a smile on her face. Then, she looked at the man over her shoulder. "Would it be too much to ask for another favor?"

"It will depend." He said as he approached them. "I cannot interfere much in my sister's deals and schemes, but you may ask away."

"Maximoffs are off limits, Morpheus." The Skull Woman, but now there was flesh on her face again, chided in a singsong voice as she twirled her wrist in the Boy's direction. Gaining a glare from him that she returned with a mocking expression and a laugh. "Not until my pet's task is done."

The Boy fumed at her. "So it was you! What do you want from her, Rio?!"

"Just a little deal! Nothing too serious!" She shrugged. "I just need some knickknacks, and then she's free to go find you or whatever she wants. It's easy!"

"Says you!" He yelled, stomping towards her but getting stopped once again. Only this time, it was (Y/N) who did it, putting her hands on his chest and lightly pushing him back as he waved his hands at the Woman. "If she gets hurt because of you- I swear, I will-"

"Billy, she is baiting you!" (Y/N) remarked with a hiss, making him look down at her. His chest heaved, and his nose curled, but he stopped trying to reach for the smug woman. Stepping back with a displeased huff and tensed his jaw to calm himself.

Tommy could understand him at least. She was getting really annoying.

"Must we all act so dramatic over this?" The Old Lady moaned, but she now took cover behind Tommy, out of everyone. Avoiding looking in a certain direction, but was still bold enough to complain. "We could have solved this with-"

"Oh, shut up!" The Boy snapped, glaring at her. "I am a hundred percent sure this is all your fault, Agatha!"

"Me?! What did I do?!"

"I don't know, but I'm sure it's all on you!"

She scoffed. "I have been dead for a month at most, and you are blaming me?!"

"With Rio in the middle of all of this?" He pointed out. "Yeah, I think I will!"

"You ungrateful brat, I am your teacher-"

"A bad one at that!"

"How dare you?! Take it back!"

"Make me!"

"This is who you are helping, Agatha?" The Woman drawled, appearing at the Old Lady's side. "This is what you choose to do with your-"

"Get away from me!" "Not very convincing-"

"It's always something with you two! Stop bringing people into your shit!"

(Y/N) took that as the perfect moment to let those three go at each other's throats, pulling The Man in Black Robes further away. Tommy was not trailing too far away from her to keep watching the fight, enjoying far too much how they competed for who raised their voice louder.

His snickering could barely be heard over the screaming, but the warning glance he got from his sister let him know that he needed to work harder on being discreet.

She figured him out way too quickly. Damn.

"Is there any way you could help us with the relics?" She asked with a tired sigh.

He shook his head. "I'm afraid not… but I could mention it to a few acquaintances of mine to provide assistance."

(Y/N) thought for a few moments before nodding. "How will I know who they are?"

"They are hard to miss, but they are trustworthy." He leaned closer, lowering his voice despite the noise taking up the room. "Is there anything else you wish to ask for before I send you back?"

"Yes, actually!" She quipped quietly, cupping her hands around his ear and whispering.

The Man in Black Robe's lips twitched as she leaned away, nodding at her as she grabbed Tommy's hand once again.

"Consider it done." He said, raising his hand. "We shall see each other very soon. Until then, best of luck."

The floor caved in beneath their feet the moment he snapped his fingers.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

Maximoff could hear the pure chaos way before she fell through the ceiling.

A sharp pain burst from her left side as she landed against something made out of metal, knocking the air out of her with a strangled groan. Then, she fell once again, officially making it to the ground.

"Fuck!" She wheezed, clutching her ribs and rushing to stand up despite the white dots invading her field of vision. Her free hand shot out to hold onto the rails of the stretcher she had fallen on at first, only to nearly get knocked over again by a small group of people who screamed and ran through the long, busy hall.

"There's a shooter! A shooter!" Someone yelled, shoving and pushing whoever stood in their path as more people began to panic.

Several patients in their beds started trying to leave. Nurses and doctors tried to keep them calm, yelling odd words and running around to get control over the situation.

It seemed that whatever was happening had kept their attention long enough to not notice a couple of kids phasing through the ceiling.

Maximoff backed away, flinching when the cold wall made contact with her. Swiftly looking around for her friends.

"Kitty!" She yelled over the chaos, her voice lost inside the sea of screams. "Kitty! Jubilee! Where are-"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The shots rang through the walls. Way too close. Many dove to the ground, covering their heads or crouching behind the nearest desk or wall. Others scrambled or ran while screaming to the doors, not looking back.

Maximoff could only cover her ears as her knees nearly buckled, a yell ripping from her throat.

Then the lights went out, sending a new wave of screams through the room.

Any type of pain she was feeling fell out of her body, replaced by an uncomfortable fear that made the thin hairs of her skin rise. Her head moved around the darkness, trying to make sense of her new surroundings, straining her ears. Searching for any voices that could resemble-

The sudden jolt of her right arm getting pulled made her swing blindly with a scream. Her left fist came into contact with someone's chest.

Except it never made contact. Not really.

It phased right through, actually.

Fearful eyes met the artificial glow of the pale machine holding her hostage. She slowly removed her arm, shivers breaking through her back and shoulder as an odd, fuzzy sensation passed through her skin. As if static itself was settling against it.

The machine was tall. A cold blue glow seeping through the lines of his body panels, simulating a normal human body. Soft whirring and clicks that thrummed from his insides and were way too loud due to the close distance between them. His facial features were symmetrical. Too symmetrical. Firm plastic molded into cheekbones, a nose, and lips, every detail designed to imitate something that should have been warm and alive. And his eyes were…

A soft warmth slid over her as the machine's pupils spun and examined her. His mouth pursed as he leaned closer, a bulge forming in between where his eyebrows were supposed to be.

He looked at her with…concern? Fear? Could he even feel anxious?

It suddenly hit her that she had been calling the machine a he in her head.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned. His voice was low, but not unkind. Which made her shoulders drop and her eyes widen.

Any discomfort or fear just seemed to be gone. All by the tone he used and how his grip wasn't even constricting or harsh. It could barely count as a grip, even. Not when his fingers barely applied any pressure.

It was more like a hold. A reassurance. As if he just wanted to make sure she was there in front of him.

That same hold was gone when the next round of gunshots rang.

A noise of protest came out of her involuntarily as he suddenly shoved her away from him with a strong force. Sending her to the other side of the wide, dark hall, her feet stumbling beneath her and sending her flat on her ass. She quickly sat up, all the panic from earlier seeping back again as the screams entered her ears.

But before she could look for him, Jubilee's voice screamed in her ear.

"We gotta go! Quick!" She urged, pulling Maximoff up by the back of her shirt and dragging her by the forearm through the now flickering lights of the emergency room. Shoving people around, and them getting pushed as well.

"What about Kitty?!" Maximoff yelled, scanning the crowd and jumping just so she could catch sight of the smaller girl. "I can't see her!"

"She went ahead to the front! She is calling the boys!" Jubilee managed to say, huffing as someone nearly elbowed her in the face.

Maximoff didn't wait to slip from Jubilee's grip. Instead, she was the one grabbing her, putting a hand on the back of her neck as she dashed away through the patients and nurses.

The ambulance bay was a crowded mess. The hospital had clearly evacuated rather quickly, and several sirens could be heard in the distance as Maximoff took cover behind a parked ambulance that was parked away from the worst of the commotion. Carefully settling Jubilee against the back doors, since she did look dizzy from the small run.

Maximoff peered around the corner of the vehicle, trying to find Kitty and holding her breath when there was no view of her.

"Psst! Over here!" A voice whispered below her feet, making her jump and stumble back as Kitty emerged from the concrete and quickly dove into Maximoff's arms with a nervous laugh. "Holy shit, that was terrifying."

The three of them huddled together, shoulder to shoulder, catching their breath and calming down from what had just happened. All of them were shaking and sweating cold.

"Are they close?" Maximoff panted, head still spinning and closing her eyes. Just for a moment. She deserved it.

Kitty's head nodded against her shoulder, clutching the walkie-talkie hard to her chest. "They should be here any second. But we gotta move out of here. They said the Titans were seen coming-"

"The Titans?!" Jubilee hissed, crouching down to take a low glance at the bay from behind the back lights of the ambulance. "Shit, that's not- wait, how do they even know?"

"Because of that."

Maximoff opened her eyes and wished to close them again and maybe never open them once again. Maybe this was all a fucked up nightmare, and she was still sleeping at Warren's apartment, but she knew the universe wasn't that kind to her.

"You have to be kidding," Jubilee said breathlessly as she rose up, and Maximoff accompanied her in the sentiment.

Because at the end of the street, Kitty was pointing at none other than a freaking police car. And right on the driver's seat was a very giddy-looking John, wearing a cop's jacket and hat. With an also annoyed Lance on the passenger seat.

That may have been the only highlight out of this for her.

Ignoring how her stomach revolted, she put her arms over Kitty and Jubilee's shoulders and ran towards the guys, stopping right by the driver's window and glaring down at John.

"I told you to be careful and quiet!" She charged, letting go of the girls as they staggered on their feet, Lance quickly jumping out of the car to help a green-looking Kitty while Jubilee slumped over the back door. Maximoff gestured sharply at the car. "This is not careful and quiet!"

John lifted his hands with a grin. "And we did! The bloke was snoozin’ like a dead man, so we just went for it! It’s bloody perfect! Who’s gonna stop a cop? Another cop?!”

Maximoff grabbed her head with a groan and pulled the scarf off of her head, twisting it with a snarl. "I will knock your ass-"

Loud gasps and screams stopped the argument, the whole group snapping their heads back towards the hospital. The crowd had become bigger and rowdier, people pointing up at the dark sky as the street lights and every lighted building around stopped working.

The only source of light was from the pale robot that was floating above the crowd.

And he was staring directly at them. Or more exactly, at Maximoff.

It was Lance who took charge, pushing Kitty into the back of the car and Jubilee following right after her. Both of them looked at the sky in fear until Lance ordered them to settle. His face was stern, but his eyes were telling a whole different story.

"We gotta take through the Narrows," Lance remarked, slamming the door shut before rounding the front of the car. "It's the closest route to the Vincefinkle Bridge. You know the way, John?"

John scrambled to the passenger seat, jumping across the small computer in between the seats and struggling to put the seatbelt on. "You grab this one, mate.”He wheezed, daring to glance at the sky for a moment before sinking into his spot.

Lance opened the driver's seat, already putting a foot inside when he noticed that a certain someone still hadn't gotten in the car. Her back was turned to them, her neck cranked up and her shoulders tense.

"Mera'!" He snapped, slapping a palm on the roof of the car to get her attention. "Get inside the car! Now!"

But Maximoff didn't look back at him. Instead, she took a step forward.

"Hey, hey!" John called from inside, a panicked look on his face. "Not the time to play hero! That's a murder machine! Get in the car now!"

"It's a Sentinel, (Y/N)! You can't fight that!" Kitty cried, trying to convince her.

Lance ran up to her, pulling her by her shoulder. She tried to shrug him off, but he turned her around to face him. Squeezing her shoulders tightly and breathed quite fast.

He looked terrified.

"Let's just go, please!" He pleaded. "We can make it out of here! All of us! Just get in the car and stop acting-"

"I told you." She said, putting her arms in between the small space between them and pushing him. Stepping back slowly. "I can't go. Someone needs me here. I can't leave just yet."

"Forget them! They are not here!" He snarled. "You'll get killed if you stay here! Stop being stupid and come with us!"

But Maximoff started to run backwards, taking a high jump to turn her body around and giving them a grin over her shoulder. Waving her arm up as the distance grew between them.

"I'll buy you time!" She yelled. "Get them out of here, Lance! Go!"

Lance's face morphed into a pissed-off look.

"Maximoff, you fucking bitch!"

Those were the last words she heard, accompanied by the yells of the others, telling her to turn around and come with them. But it quickly faded into a ringing sound that she had become a bit addicted to hearing.

Her attention went to the man in the sky, frozen and still like the crowd beneath him. But his eyes were still directed at where she had been standing, not even seconds ago.

When the world returned to movement, she was on the other side of the street. Far away from the hospital and behind the line of sight of the man. Wincing as her bones gave a full-body shudder. Leaving her aching beneath her skin. But she gritted her teeth and ignored it, as the man had turned around to face her.

'Okay,' She squinted at him, lightly lifting her heels up and down. 'He flies. Cool. And also phases through mass. Cool, too. Not really liking my odds, but still.'

She dared to steal a quick look beyond the crowd, at the end of the street. A sigh of relief left her chest at the absence of the car that was there moments ago. Which meant she only had to distract this… man.

The pale man flew higher, spooking the crowd and making them spread out. Then, he moved towards her. And before she could start running once more, his expression made her pause for a moment.

Even from the distance, she could see the marked lines of worry over his face. The glow of his pupils turned into something softer. Clearer. Like a warm light in the darkness. Pulling her in and coming closer and closer-

Until a loud noise made her clutch her head and scream.

"I don't like the dark…"

"I thought you said Billy was the scardy cat, sweetie?"

"Can I sleep with you and Mama, please?"

"Oh, honey, but what about Billy? He will be all alone, and I know you don't want that."

"No, I don't…"

"How about this? I'll put a nightlight beside your bed, then you don't have to be scared anymore, okay?"

"A nightlight?"

"Yes! It's like the porch light we have in the front of the house. As long as it's on, the darkness won't get to you."

"As long as it's on, the darkness won't get to you."

"As long as it's on, the darkness won't get-"

"As long as it's on-"

The next thing she knew was that the wind was knocked out of her out of the sudden, bringing her back from wherever her mind had suddenly been pulled into. The second thing she knew was that she couldn't feel the ground beneath her feet, which led her to finally open her eyes and realize how such a thing was even possible in the first place.

The sight of being miles above the ground, and going even farther, had her screaming and struggling against whatever was holding her in the air.

"Woo! Wait- Hey, stop that!" A voice demanded near her ear, fighting against the loud wind whipping against them. A solid warmth pulled her closer. Arms wrapped around her back and waist.

Her eyes caught on the black hair and the leather jacket. Then, he pulled her back a bit, coming face to face with some asshole wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night.

"I could drop you, y'know?" He teased, getting a scoff from her.

But any type of annoyance was gone when she focused on the dark void of tall shadows from skyscrapers and buildings. Growing and growing farther away.

They were too far from the ground.

She hadn't realized how much she liked being on the ground until now. Any sense of safety and trust was suddenly just gone from beneath her feet. The wind was cutting against her skin in a way that was very different from the wind she felt while running.

It was too cold. Too sharp.

It was all wrong, and she wanted to get down now.

"Put me down." Her tone was meek. Tight. Her words lost in the air.

The asshole frowned, leaning closer. "What?"

Maximoff started hitting him on the shoulders, voice breaking as she started to yell over and over again. "Put me down! Put me down now!"

They suddenly dipped down, making her scream, and dug her nails into his jacket as she clung to him. Her legs wrapped around his torso, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the cold wind in her back.

It didn't hit her until they reached the roof of some apartment building that the flying guy had lowered the speed as they came down from the sky.

As soon as she felt the surface, she pushed him away harshly. Her legs gave way beneath her, no longer having something stable to lean on, and they were shaking way too much to hold her weight. Or maybe it was because of the cold. Either way, she couldn't stop her body from shaking.

She put a palm over her chest, taking deep, slow breaths and staring directly at the ground.

The guy knelt at her level, hands fluttering and twitching around her nervously, but not daring to touch her. "I'm so, so sorry! I didn't know you were- I mean- you were in trouble and I just-"

Maximoff breathed in through her nose deeply, waving him off. But he just continued to ramble on.

"I didn't mean to scare you! I swear!"

'How was it?' She thought, closing her eyes as she took another breath. 'Count to seven, right? Easy. One. Two. Three-'

"It's been such a long day- I can't even imagine how you-"

'Two. Three. Four. Five-'

"And that robot just flew off, and you were screaming and-"

'You know what? Screw it. I'm not lasting until seven.'

Maximoff shot up from the ground, fuming at him. "God, just shut it for five seconds, puñeta!"

There was finally quiet for a while after she snapped. The noise around them was only the sound of her panting, slowly becoming small breaths until her chest settled while pacing from side to side.

"Okay," She sighed, ruffling her hair and sliding her hands to her shoulders. Squeezing them gently. "It's okay. We're okay."

"You don't look okay…" He pointed out with a wince.

She wiped her head to stare at him, feeling a vein in her neck twitch. "Of course I'm not okay! I had a shit-ass day, and I don't know what the fuck I'm supposed to do about it, okay?! Is that what you want me to say?!"

The guy stayed quiet. She just kept talking.

"First, some crazy bastard takes me away to open me up for some fucked up reason! Then, I saw a guy get devoured by a giant crocodile while wearing a bomb on my neck!" Somewhere in the back of her head, she knew she shouldn't just be spilling her woes to a stranger. But somewhere deeper inside didn't stop her from doing so.

A bitter laugh escaped from her lips, her hands falling limp at her sides. "And it gets worse! Because, apparently, just because I have stupid speed powers or some fucking gene, I'm the lowest of the lowest in this blasted city! So, down in the sewers I fucking go, I guess! Because no place is safe for people like me!"

Her voice trembles as angry tears spill, only making her scoff and brush them away. Drying her hand roughly against her scrubs.

"Like 'me'?As if!" She mocks with a shrug. "What is even 'me'? I am not 'me'! This isn't even my body! All of my feelings- my thoughts- nothing of this is mine! I'm not supposed to be here, so what's the fucking point?!"

Sharp, shuddering breaths took the task of filling in the silence between them.

Maximoff could only stare at the blackout covering the city, not bothering to dry her face off as tears spilled once more. Not even bothered to chase away the cold seeping through her clothes by hugging herself.

That changed when a jacket was put over her shoulders.

It took a while, but she turned her neck to look at him. His eyes, bare of the sunglasses, glanced over her face. There was no pity, nor concern. Just a quiet understanding that made her lungs feel less heavy. Less of a burden.

Her eyes widened as a name flashed through her mind. Only growing like saucers as the symbol over his chest was finally visible.

"If you let me," Kon said gently. "I can help you out. But you have to let me."

'Holy fuck,' was all she could think of. 'Bobby is gonna freak the fuck out-'

A light bulb lit up in her head.

"Do you have a phone?" She blurted, grabbing him by the shoulders with a grin.

Kon could only nod and resign himself to his involvement in whatever she had come up with. Not like he had much of a choice.

And not like he had any complaints about it.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

Author's Note: Once again, how y'all doing? IM SO SORRY!!! Life was lifing and I could barely catch a breath and I just went with the flow. So many things have happened. I lost my job during the summer and got told that I wouldn't have a scholarship for my last year of college, so I was stretching myself thin to figure things out and now everything is looking up!! My health is doing great, great enough to finally return to my dancing crew and go back to the gym which is wonderful for me!! On sadder news, i had a fall out with a friend group of mine and it hit me hard, so I am coping and getting through it. People come and go, and that's okay. People who support my goals and respect them are the ones that really matter, and I am lucky enough to have some of those!! Now, as for the next chapter, I really hope that it won't take me this long again to post it. I learned the hard way that doing this crazy amount of povs was not it for my writing style, but that's why I started this fic in the first place: to learn! So with next chapter, the Kidnapping Arc is done! Again, a very special thanks for everyone that comments and sends memes and asks. They keep me going through the tough times and I am eternally grateful for you taking of your time to let me know your thoughts. I love you so much!!🥹✨💖 Sending you all lots of love and hugs, GG✨

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