i cannot control their fear... only my own.

“i know. i mean look at those things.” pietro shook his head as he watched the bots march people toward the castle (in the making?) from his coaching office at the university. “it’s like ultron all over again.” pietro clenched his jaw as he turned his head away from the window to look at his sister. “but now we don’t even have our powers to fight back. what are we supposed to do? pretend like this is our new life? we have to do something now, wanda.”

“ultron but worse,” wanda agreed, nodding her head. the difference here was ultron wanted to kill all humans, but doom wanted people to rule over. both were equally bad in wanda’s mind. “pretend, perhaps. if we pretend, it isn’t real. this cannot last forever, we must believe that.  and we will do something, i know we will, but we must have a plan first. we will figure out the whole mess with the powers, and we’ll find a way out of this.” she gives her brother a soft, reassuring smile. “part of me is happy to be back to some shred of... life before the savage lands. even if it is barely the same.”

“but who is there to notice it? the rest of the planet, they’re... they’re gone. all that is left is latveria and a small fraction of the earth’s population. and even if we were to reach out to other planets, i do not think we are allowed to leave. much less access the tech or the powers we’d need to help us do such a thing,” wanda sighed, her gaze dropping to the floor and her hand covering her mouth. “what do you think, stephen?” she asked, a look of worry clear on her face as she glanced over at her friend.

wanda sighed, her gaze dropping to the ground for a moment before she looked back up at reed. “i suppose you have a point about that,” she replied, her arms folding across her chest. “i don’t hate working as a teacher. art is enjoyable, of course, and it’s nice that i have a friend around, doing something similar, but... i can’t help but feel out of my element. this is something so new, you know? nothing like what i’ve done before. and not being able to use my magic, well... that’s a different story entirely.”

erik relaxed if only for a moment as he watched the woman move the disc with her own abilities. red energy, it seemed - pausing briefly, he slowly called the disc back to himself and pocketed it. “i came across the creature, it is not doing well.” he finally stated, keeping his eye on the mysterious woman. something about her seemed familiar to him, a sense of trust he felt he could afford to her, but he still remained with caution. “i will not harm you,” he finally admitted returning his attention back to the dinosaur.

“my name is magneto, or erik -“ he conceded, glancing over the creature towards her. “you’re european and a mutant are you not?“ he asked, taking the distinct hint of her accent as a clue and the fact he could sense her power and her genetics. “as am i,“ he stated giving her a softened smile. “so, can you help this creature? or would it be but a better mercy to end its suffering?“ he didn’t really know - he more or less hoped that they wouldn’t, after all - it seemed to want to aid them or take some sort of compassion from them. “i know nothing of medical practices for ancient creatures, admittedly.“

well, that certainly explained the man’s abilities. it wasn’t the answer she was expecting, and she had to hide the shock she felt from hearing him introduce himself as such. “i am wanda, though some call me the scarlet witch. but yes -- i am a jewish mutant from sokovia.” though she considered it for a second, she doesn’t want to tell him yet that he is her father. she figures the reaction would likely be negative, and she definitely doesn’t want to scare him off or make him angry with her. “i can, at the very least, try. i am able to wield chaos magic, and healing can be apart of that, but... this is on a much larger scale than i am used to,” she replied as she took a step towards the creature, magic swirling around her fingers as her hand hovered above it’s wound. her eyes squeeze shut, and moments later they snap back open and she stumbles back. “i-- like i said, it’ll take a lot of work. i’m unsure whether or not it understands that we are here to help,” she said as she began attempting to calm the creature. “you mentioned you are from europe as well. may i ask where?” she raises a brow, despite being pretty sure she knew the answer already, but still attempted to make some semblance of small talk while trying to help the dinosaur.

“Wanda… you’re good at the whole nightmare … thing, aren’t you?” 

Tony couldn’t help wincing when he asked Wanda, remembering all too well the nightmares that she had inflicted on him. And yes, it had been playing off his own fears, but it had really screwed with him for years, and … while he hoped that particular hatchet was buried between them, he didn’t actually know. 

Maybe you shouldn’t have avoided her so much, a little voice at the back of his head said. “Look, I know I’m not your favourite person, but I really need your help. There’s this big demon out there in the jungle that’s causing all these nightmares, and I can’t seem to wake people up, or stop it. If I can cut a path for you through the monsters, do you think you could wake the dreamers?”

listening to tony’s question, wanda’s gaze flicks from him and then to the ground. she pauses, thinking for a moment, before she looks back up at him and laughs softly, shaking her head. “you weren’t my favorite person eight to ten years ago. things have changed since then. we have changed since then.” she replied, giving him a small smile. “i do not hate you, tony, if that is what you worry about.” her arms wrap around herself. “but yes, i suppose i am. it is an ability i have, just one i generally choose not to use anymore. not unless i have cause for it,” she explained, nodding her head. “i can try, at the very least. it’s worth a shot, right? and i can attempt to protect us on the way in there as well. we can work together -- as a team. we are both avengers, after all, yes?”

“ certainly not powers like you or some off the others here… “ natasha looks at wanda, clearly seeing how distraught she is. she puts her hands on wanda’s shoulders, confused but also concerned. “ hey, breathe with me—you’re okay… “ she takes a deep breath hoping that the girl would mimic her. natasha doesn’t want to see her like this. she wants to help her. even if she’s not sure how right at this moment. “ what happened? can you tell me? “ she thinks for a moment before continuing, “ do you want me to help you try to find someone else with powers? we can see if they’re okay, if they still have them. “ maybe this could be a start in the right direction.

wanda frowned, her brows knitting together as she tried to breath deeply, attempting to keep her breaths in check with natasha’s. “i think... i think it was a nightmare,” she replied, running her fingers through her hair. “no, no, i don’t think we need to do that. thank you, though,” she gave the other a small smile. “you see, i am... in touch with other realities. and therefore aware of some of my other-reality selves’ choices and actions. one of them, she... depowered millions of mutants with three words. i don’t want to become that person. when i had the nightmare of it, it just seemed... so very real.” she explained with a soft sigh. “i’ll be okay, i promise. are you okay?”

he couldn’t breathe. he found himself back in midland circle, a pool of bodies surrounding him but he couldn’t sense any of the people he was with. he couldn’t hear jones or cage or danny rand or even the hand. he couldn’t even hear elektra. he was alone in midland circle and he was in the daredevil suit. “what—?” he didn’t understand why he was back in new york city because the last thing he remembered was the smell of antiseptic in the avengers compound infirmary.

but he was four seconds too late when he heard the foundation crumbling and he was suddenly feeling the building collapsing in on itself and he was transported back to when he first got buried underneath it. he’s pretty sure he survived the first time on luck but he’s not sure either if that was a dream or not. and just like before, he got himself knocked out before sitting up and breathing heavily, his chest feeling like it’s been buried under bricks. matt’s sure it was a dream—until he felt the suit on his skin. there was another person in the room and in a state of panic, he stood up and grabbed the person. “did you take me from the collapsed building?”

there was something going on, something strange, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. surely there it couldn’t just be a coincidence that nearly everyone -- if not all of them -- were having nightmares. she’d found the other unconscious, and was quick to attempt to help him as she got up, turning her back for barely a second as she planned to go to the couch and retrieve a pillow from it. wanda had jumped when her arm was grabbed, magic instinctively swirling around her fingers for a few seconds before they dissipate. 

“what collapsed building?” she asks, her head tilting to the side as she frowns at the question. “you were asleep,” she adds, glancing over the suit he was wearing before she looked back at his face -- or at least, as best she could given half of it was covered. “i believe you may have had a nightmare. many people are having them tonight. i’m not quite sure why,” she paused. “are you alright? are you hurt?”

pietro had woken from his own nightmare, shaken to his core. but when he was able to wake up and he could still feel that his sister was nearby, the worry faded away. downstairs he was preparing himself a sandwich before he would go out to help those that volunteered when his sister came rushing into the room. he put his food down and speeds over to her, hands on her shoulders. “wanda, what’s wrong?” he starts off asking, her face looked clearly disheveled. “i still have my powers.” with that he lifted her up and sped his way around and outside the building and then back into the building back to her original place. after speeding to the kitchen to start a pot of tea for her, then standing in front of her again. “see? nothing to worry about.”

she really shouldn’t have expected anything less from her brother. yet, still, she squeaks when he lifts her up and proceeds to run around the building. she’s relieved -- and perhaps a little dizzy -- as she’s set back down on her feet in the spot she’d previously been standing. sighing, she nods slowly as he says there’s nothing to worry about. “i -- i had a nightmare.” she stated as she moved to sit down at the kitchen island, gesturing for her brother to do the same. “i said three little words and took powers away from millions of people. just like that.” she said with a snap of her fingers. “are you alright, pietro? why are you up so early?”

reed was hoping to catch tony stark or stephen strange (or both of them) at the compound, believing that putting their heads together might bring more results than when working alone. for a moment, reed wished banner was with them right now but he figured he was probably faring somewhere better and not being stuck here. and not that he’d like to admit it, but he didn’t want to go to sleep tonight—not with the stories he’s been hearing about the nightmares. reed wasn’t willing to go through the motions of having his fears come to life when he has a family to take care of. and he was seeing the effects of it now with the person before him. “wanda. wanda! calm down. take a deep breath and calm down. i still have them, look—” his arm stretched out and took a blanket an open room upstairs—which was hopefully hers—and draped it over her shoulders. “let’s sit down. tell me what happened.”

she was relieved to see reed, and more relieved that he still had his abilities. as a blanket is draped over her shoulders, her hand moves to clutch the ends of it to keep it in place. wanda nodded her head slowly, taking a deep breath in as she attempted to calm herself. “i--,” she began, frowning. “i had the worst dream. nightmare, rather. i... i did something terrible...” she replied, her brows knitting together as she thought back to the nightmare. “it just seemed so real. and then i woke up wearing this -- just like in the dream -- and i thought i’d...” she trailed off, shaking her head as she glanced down at the dress and then back at reed. “i took powers away from people. mutants, specifically... millions of them. just like that. just... gone.”

“ah, it didn’t give me trouble physically. but it’s giving me grief back at the lab now. i hope the rain didn’t get to you? the acid rain was more acidic than we initially thought.” he had theories about the origin of the acid but he wasn’t sure just yet and he didn’t want to spread information when he wasn’t sure about it. he wasn’t going to be an irresponsible scientist. “any news on xavier’s? i heard the lower levels started appearing. i was hoping to catch charles but i couldn’t find him anywhere.” a beat of silence before he finally asked, “you think erik has any idea about this? where is erik anyway?”

“oh, yes, i had heard -- it damaged our shelters, yes? i am sorry to hear that it’s affected you that way. but, hopefully we will be able to fix it soon. or, better yet, get out of here entirely. i was able to shield myself, but i fear others were not as lucky as you and i.” wanda replied. as he mentioned xavier’s, wanda frowned, shaking her head. “no one has been able to locate charles or my father, as far as i am aware. i hope they’re alright, but... it’s hard to say, given how large this place is and that we do not know the status of our homes.” she sighs. “do you need any help, reed? with your lab, or anything else? i may not be a scientist, but i am happy to help however i can.”

pietro felt like he’d been running for ages. the places was huge, too much land to try and cover. what a god awful place to get lost in. and such inconvient timing too. he was just getting used to being alive again with his family until the galactus had to screw it all up. he’d just started another round trip of the island when this time he came across a building (the sanctum). this is new. he walked up to the windows to take a peak inside, trying to judge if he could find an entrance and do a sweep through.

{ @ofscarletwitch }

ever since arriving in the savage lands, the whereabouts of her twin brother had always concerned her. she’d tried to search for him, but to no avail. the place was large, and not to mention the different problems that had come up along the way. sitting on a stool in the kitchen of the sanctum, wanda sips at her tea and lazily pets her cat, perched on the counter, as she gets lost within her own thoughts. at least, until she senses someone outside. no, not just anyone -- it was pietro. she could feel it. setting her cup down, she’s quick to exit the sanctum. “pietro!” she exclaims happily when she spots her brother, running to him to give him a hug. “where have you been?! i’ve been worried!”

the creature that laid upon the open clearing among the trees seemed far more sentient than any of the other dinosaurs he’d come across. its large red skin glowed hot in the dimming sun as he approached it carefully - sensing the pain off of it. by the looks of the teeth and the claws, he assumed it was carnivorous and thus kept his distance. “i will not harm you if you do not harm me,” the metal discs he kept in his pocket from the reconstructed object carol had given him hummed with want of use.

he moved closer and slowly pressed a palm to the belly of the beast, feeling the blood beneath the skin and finding the iron count to be incredibly low. “you’re dying,” he realized with a whisper, turning suddenly in alarm to send one of the discs from his pocket propelling towards the forehead of a stranger approaching. “allow me one good reason i do not terminate you for sneaking up on me.”

having heard of the injured dinosaur, wanda had been concerned. determined to prove those who thought ill of her wrong, she set out towards where the creature was supposed to be, hovering above the trees before landing by the treeline, only to be greeted by a metal disc pointed at her forehead. curious, she thinks. there were only two people she knew of that could control metal, both of which being members of her family. lorna was here, but erik was not, as far as she knew, but the man was elderly. part of her wonders if this man is another long lost sibling. but she pushes the thought aside, deeming it as not being as important as the other matters at hand.

“terminate me?” wanda repeats, her head tilting to the side slightly as she looks over at the man. her gaze shifts to the metal disks, red energy flowing around her fingers and the disk as she pushes it to the side, just over her shoulder instead of in her face. “i did not realize you were here. i came in search of him,” she replies, gesturing to the injured dinosaur. “to help him,” slowly, she takes a step towards him before pausing. “i mean you no harm if you mean me no harm,”

is your muse honest? what sorts of lies do they tell, if not?

“i’m sorry. better me than you.”

Clint looks over at Wanda — a heavy sigh leaving his lips. He won’t be doing this again. “I’m not losing another friend. We can both make it through this together.” He says while placing a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. After losing Natasha back on Vormir he refused to go through anything like that a second time. “I think we’ll be okay in here until one of them tries to get inside. Please, just don’t try and do this alone.” [ @ofscarletwitch ]

wanda sighed softly, tucking some hair behind her ear as she looked over at clint, nodding her head. she had been alternating jobs based on where she felt she was needed, and right now it was caring for devil dinosaur.  “i just... i don’t want him to accidentally hurt anyone. we’re trying to help him, but having your wounds cleaned is typically painful,” she explained, pursing her lips. “i want you to stay safe, clint.”

“i wish it was that simple.” illyana appreciated her optimism, the insistence to see the best in people. not everyone gave her the same faith. but she was also a realist, and the dark, corrupted part of her soul was something she’d grown to accept over time. “it was me, to some degree. the demonic part of me is still there, inside. i can feel it. i make effort all the time to keep it inside. whatever happened to us, it took away my ability to restrain it.” to be forcibly pushed to the recess of her mind and forced to allow darkchylde to take control had been a disturbing experience. with no desire to burden anyone with her troubles, she attempted to return some of wanda’s optimism. “but thank you. it’s done now, i suppose. how are you fairing here?”

“exactly my point -- you keep it contained, because you’re good. and this person -- they took away your ability to fight it. i believe that we all have the capabilities within us to do bad, but we choose to do good.” wanda replied, giving illyana a reassuring smile. she knew how it felt to feel out of control, and the anger that came afterwards at herself, and because of that she felt it was the least she could do to try to console and be there for illy and billy. “of course. i’m here for you, illyana. for whatever you may need.” when asked about herself, wanda had to pause for a moment to think before she shrugged. “me? i’m alright. i believe i’m doing as well as any other person here. what about you? how do you feel about the... change in scenery?”