magic comes at a cost

At parties like this, Johnny typically made time to speak to everyone. He’d always had a bad habit of valuing attention over true feelings, had never quite cared what people actually thought of him as long as they were pretending to care. Since he’d begun dating Wanda, his priorities had shifted a little. She’d been adamant that he was worth caring for, reminding him constantly that he deserved friends who really cared for him rather than ones hoping to profit off his fame. He wasn’t sure he’d ever truly be in a place where he cared nothing of what the world thought of him, but thanks to her, he cared far less than he once had. It showed in the way he only spoke to a few strangers at the party, was made clear in the way he returned to the edge of the crowd to stand with her rather than making his usual rounds throughout.

“I’ve got something fancy to give you when we get home, too,” he replied, wriggling his brows suggestively. His smile widened at the sound of her laugh, and he gave her a quick peck on the lips before she pulled back. “You sure you don’t need me to say it more? I could stand to say it more.” It hadn’t always been an easy phrase for him to vocalize, but with Wanda, it was simple. His love for her was a simple fact, obvious and undeniable as the blue in the sky or the green in the grass. He hoped it was as obvious to her as it was to him, hoped there was never a time when she was uncertain about it. “Mmm, you know, Peter has this pillow in his bed that I’ve been meaning to snatch for a while now. You think we could stop in and take it before he gets home?” He flashed her a grin, bright and humorous. “I always kinda figured if you and I spent a couple months in bed together, it’d involve a lot more than sleeping.” It took Johnny a moment to notice the hush that fell over the crowd, but when he realized it, he glanced up to the stage to make note of Doom’s arrival. “Looks like we’re about to find out,” he observed, nodding towards the man. It all happened in an instant. One minute he was talking, the next the list was out on display. It wasn’t exactly a surprise, if Johnny was being honest; he’d sort of been expecting it from the beginning. It was part of the reason he’d put his name on it. “You think we should take these cheeses to go?”

Years ago, Wanda would have never had the confidence to attend a party of this size. Not only was Wanda paranoid that her magic would rise to the surface, but she had never done well in crowds. Even now, pressed close to Johnny’s side, her heart was hammering in her chest. No one posed any obvious threat to her or her friends like the soldiers in Sokovia did, clutching funs tightly to their chest, but crowded spaces were never something Wanda could entirely adjust to. New York and its overpopulation had certainly helped Wanda control her nerves whilst surrounded by strangers, as did learning various coping techniques, but she doubted that she would ever entirely enjoy parties and similar events like Johnny did. Luckily, both Johnny and Wanda were willing to compromise.

“You usually do have fancy things to give me when we’re home,” Wanda pointed out fondly. Johnny was always very enthusiastic whilst they were in private (and occasionally in public as well). A smile crossed Wanda’s face when Johnny gave her a quick kiss and she leaned her head against his shoulder, making herself as comfortable as she possibly could surrounded by strangers. “I would love to hear it more,” she decided. Johnny’s love was never something Wanda doubted, he showed it in a  variety of ways, including the fact that he was standing beside her rather than in the centre of the party, demanding attention. Wanda never doubted Johnny’s love for her, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t love to hear him repeat the sentiment a hundred times a day. “I think we could definitely do that,” she said with a laugh. “Or I can buy you the comfiest pillows I can find,” Wanda offered. If it made Johnny happy, it was money well spent. “We could always create our own kind of hibernating. Sleeping, eating leftovers, and doing more than sleeping,” Wanda suggested, her arms tightening around Johnny as she spoke.

Unfortunately, their time was quickly interrupted, and the crowd hushed. Wanda immediately tensed and her arm tightened around Johnny protectively. Unsurprisingly, the list was put on display, as Wanda suspected it would be. Doom was not an honest man and the list was a powerful weapon. “I think we should definitely take them to go,” Wanda agreed, flinching as shouting began. “What’s the quickest way out?”

@thcscarletwltch

Even the most powerful people in the city were somewhat reluctant to go out beyond the borders, preparing thoroughly before they undertook the mission, knowing that the demons were waiting and ready to push back to the best of their ability. The creatures which had once been nothing more than an annoyance were becoming ever stronger, learning from their mistakes, but Carol was lucky to have someone that would never back down from the prospect of a dangerous fight. Carol had travelled the extent of the universe, she had seen power in many forms, and she knew it wasn’t just her bias talking when she said Wanda Maximoff was unlike anything else she had ever witnessed. The Scarlet Witch was also a good person and one of Carol’s closest friends, which was a gift Carol was not going to question.

“We should really make up a ‘demon punching’ playlist for the next time we go out,” Carol remarked as she hauled one of the large boxes of resources they had managed to bring back onto the pile that was currently being stored in Avengers Tower. “If we don’t, there’s a chance we might get bored doing the same thing several times a week. Boredom doesn’t suit me well, Wanda!” Humour only lasted so long too, and once Carol had settled the box on top of the others she sighed, leaning back against them. “Things are going to change, aren’t they?” she asked, clearly referring to Doom’s reveal. “What do you make of the situation?” Carol had always trusted Wanda’s gut instinct and intuition, almost as much as she trusted her own - and right now, her own stomach was saying punching Doom would be monumentally satisfying, and probably treason. At the very least it was unpatriotic!

If New York City was going survive its most recent disaster, there was no doubt in Wanda’s mind that they would need all the resources that they could realistically gather from the wasteland. Though Wanda was powerful, after her heated discussion with Johnny regarding recklessness and safety, she always made a point of venturing into the wasteland with a teammate. Carol Danvers was among her favourite partners, she was an incredible fighter, and more importantly, one of Wanda’s closest friends. Unlike the other Avengers, she had accepted Wanda more easily, though she imagined that was because Carol joined the Avengers after Wanda’s unfortunate partnership with Ultron. Ultimately, however, it was irrelevant: they were close friends and together, Wanda had no doubt that they could provide for the city.

“Take whichever with you. They’re tied to the library, so eventually they’ll revert back to their original positions there, as a safety measure, but that doesn’t kick in for a year, or until I want it to.” Trust felt hard to come by with other mages, but her and Wanda had built up an alliance- a friendship. She wanted to trust her, so she shared her knowledge and resources. Even though sometimes having a magical ally felt good, and other times a terrible, terrible mistake. But Zatanna tried to move past her experiences. Small steps. And, more simply, the books held an incredible amount of knowledge that she would need lifetimes to thoroughly study alone. And two heads were brighter than one. As immediately evidenced by Wanda’s thoughts. “They could have. I’d think they’d want to watch, keep control by staying here, but-” She mused before her face dropped with a sick realization. “They could be ransoming us back to the rest of the world. And with so many heroes here… who knows what’s going on back there.”

The theory settled uncomfortably in her gut, a thousand new possibilities springing to mind and all of them awful. If whoever did this was out there, there’d be no way to find them until someone inside dismantled the spell. Taking a sip of her too-hot tea, Zatanna tried to mull it over rationally. “I don’t believe for one second he is.” But he’d backed them into a corner, hadn’t he? Still, she didn’t have to think about her answer. “No. And calling it submission makes me want to even less. I didn’t sign the accords and I didn’t list because it’s no one’s business what I can do. But I don’t want to be… persecuted either. They know our names, our faces, and that’s not new for me, but it’s new for people to hate me. What will you do? Stay unlisted? I don’t want to give in, but I have a feeling things can get much worse.”

“Thank you,” she said with a smile. Wanda continued flicking through the books, carefully choosing the ones she felt connected to. The majority of her choices were made intuitively and choosing books with spells was no different. “I haven’t collected many books to offer you, but all the resources I can provide I will. They’re mostly from the Avengers,” she admitted. Wanda hadn’t collected many possessions, the majority of what she had was technically Avengers’ property, but she trusted few with her possessions and offering them to Zatanna was a display of trust. “That’s another good point,” she said quietly, dread obvious in her voice. “They could be keeping watch through a spell. It’d be safer not to be on this world with us,” Wanda pointed out. “Does that mean that the demons or native or put here?” They were worthy adversaries, but it had never been clear whether they invaded the demons home world or whether they were merely an enemy for the heroes to fight. Suddenly, neither option seemed ideal.

The silence that settled between Wanda and Zatanna was far from comfortable, the suddenly revelations and theories horrible. The odds were stacked against them, and while Wanda had been practicing her reality bending magic, a secondary mutation that belonged to her, she was nowhere near prepared to attempt to bring New York back down to Earth. “I don’t believe that he has any good intentions while we’re stuck here,” she admitted. “The more I see of Doom, the more I believe that he’s corrupt and benefiting from the sudden gain of power. No one here is threatening his position,” Wanda said, disgust clear in her tone. “There will always be people who support you, Zatanna. The ones that love you most will respect your privacy and your will,” Wanda assured Zatanna. “I’ve spent my whole life used to people hating me because of who I am and what I can do. I was a mutant, hiding in Eastern Europe. I can handle the public persecution, but I cannot handle being someone’s weapon again. However, that’s me speaking from experiences. I support whatever you choose to do wholeheartedly. Is there a right answer for you?”

There was nothing better than going to sleep next to the person you loved every night and waking up with them at your side every morning. Johnny had never really experienced it until Wanda, never understood just how incredible it could be. She was good at that, good at teaching him about wonderful experiences he might have missed out on otherwise or how to have a great experience without causing problems for himself down the line. They’d been through a lot throughout their relationship – experienced one another’s powers firsthand, dealt with tragedies and gut punches alike, took everything the world had to throw at them and come out the other end still swinging – but Johnny liked to think it had all served to make them stronger. Wanda, he knew, made him a better person, and he liked to think he made her better, too.

He woke up to a light touch on his shoulder, smiling sleepily as he sat up. Mornings weren’t really his thing, but he found he enjoyed them a lot more with her by his side. “Morning,” he replied, voice husky and tired. He returned the kiss with a smile, taking the coffee as she offered it to him. “I’m the luckiest man alive,” he mused, taking a sip. As she spoke, he looked up over the brim of the coffee, flashing her a grin and wriggling his brows suggestively. “Just one? I’ve got a bunch of ideas.” 

Genuine relationships were always difficult to maintain. For years, Wanda had never understood how to prioritize herself and her needs. Pietro had been the centre of her world, but through Johnny’s influence and emphasis on her mental health, Wanda was slowly beginning how to understand her own needs. It was part of how he had helped her to become a far better person, someone learning to love themselves slowly, although she certainly had her struggles. She was in therapy for them, she was learning more about her powers, but unfortunately, none of those were cures for the mental illness Wanda had been combating since her parents’ death (most likely — it could have been long before. She truthfully couldn’t imagine herself without some struggle.) That being said, being with Johnny never once felt difficult. They worked at their relationship, they were always striving to communicate better and fulfill each others’ needs wherever possible, but it was a pleasure to be with Johnny Storm and wake up beside him every morning, and it was not an honour Wanda intended to take for granted.

“Morning,” Wanda repeated, unable to hide the smile on her face. They had been waking up together like this consistently for quite some time, but it never got old. Zasha’s whining on the other side of the door, however, was a little exhausting. “No, I’m the luckiest person on the planet,” she replied seriously, leaning her head against Johnny’s gently. “You can save your ideas for later,” Wanda said with a laugh. “I was thinking we could explore our powers together a little bit,” her voice had an edge of nervousness to it, unsure about how Johnny would respond.

@thcscarletwltch

“Wanda!” Kara greeted, spotting her friend near the outskirts and sidling over to her side. Work and Supergirl stuff had kept Kara from seeing Wanda Maximoff lately, which had to be a crime against humanity and aliens everywhere. “Enjoying the party?” She asked, scanning the crowd. Events of this size needed close scrutiny and a helping of x-ray vision. Just in case, of course. “Feeling that sense of overwhelming doom yet, if you’ll pardon the pun?”

At the sound of her name, Wanda looked around curiously. Once her eyes landed on Kara, she immediately smiled. “Hey Kara,” she greeted before taking a stuffed mushroom cap from the table of appetizers she had been standing beside. “I’m not really a party person,” she admitted. Wanda had never been comfortable in crowds and she doubted that was subject to change. “If Doom really did this because he wanted New Yorkers to relax, it’s kind of him,” she added, hoping to sound more grateful. “I’m not sure about that. He isn’t exactly… trustworthy. What do you make of it?”

It was no secret that Wanda and Johnny were rarely apart these days. After Pietro’s betrayal and their positive pregnancy test, they had only gotten closer, Wanda comforted by his presence in ways she couldn’t fully explain. However, there was one thing they rarely did as a team and that was practice their powers. Fire was destructive, magic was unpredictable, and together, it had always struck Wanda as a dangerous combination. Slowly, her opinion was starting to change. She trusted her abilities and she had honed her control impeccably throughout the course of a year, and Johnny was beginning to learn the full extent of his abilities. Currently, Wanda was attempting to understand more about reality bending, and together, they could find truths about themselves. Perhaps it was dangerous, but they also spent their free time battling demons and similar threats. There was nothing she and Johnny weren’t capable of together and there was no one she trusted more with the secrets of her abilities.

Johnny was still asleep when Wanda made the decision to ask whether he would be willing. After getting Johnny a cup of coffee, Wanda gently touched his shoulder and when he awoke, she smiled brightly. “Good morning,” she greeted him before pressing a quick kiss to Johnny’s lips. Wanda had grown accustomed to waking up beside Johnny, but she never once took it for granted. Every single day, she felt like the luckiest woman alive to be his girlfriend. “I have an idea,” she informed him as she handed him the cup of coffee. Honestly, she wasn’t confident Johnny would be as enthusiastic about her plan as Wanda was, but without the suggestion, it would never happen.

Despite having vastly different power sets, Bruce was someone that could intimately understand Wanda’s reservations about listing. Her magic was capable of bending the fabric of reality, she could create hexes strong enough to destroy small armies, and Hulk was dangerous as well. If their abilities were used by the wrong kind of person, a mistake Wanda had made in the past, the world would only be harmed because of it and in unfortunate ways. When she had noticed Bruce on Doom’s list, Wanda had been surprised, although she understood it was largely for show. The Hulk was a public identity, although it wasn’t as well known as someone like Tony’s or Natasha’s. That being said, his opinion was one that Wanda trusted, particularly because Bruce was cautious and distrusting.

If nothing else, the superhero life boasted great company. Without Spider-Woman, Gwen wouldn’t have had most of the friends she had. She never would have met people like Wanda or Kate, and her bond with Peter, MJ, and  Harry would be vastly different than it was. She was incredibly grateful for that. “Not knowing who the bad guys are is pretty much the norm now, huh? I miss the days when the bad guys wore all black and monologued their whole plan halfway through the fight. Can we go back to that, do you think? I’d love to go back to that!” She never thought she’d miss Vulture so much! “Right, the yellow brick road,” she agreed with a grin. They hadn’t actually had Wizard of Oz in her universe, but it had been one of the first things she was introduced to here. Apparently, it was a staple. “You should move in with us. Just leave Storm to his own devices and snag the other spare bedroom!” It was clear from her tone that she was joking; she knew Wanda well enough to know she wouldn’t be moving out of the apartment she shared with Johnny any time soon. “He doesn’t exactly have to try to bother me!” Okay, maybe her cheeto-related grudge had gone on a little too long now, but Johnny’s habit of breaking in to her old apartment to sleep mostly-naked in her roommate’s bed was also irritating! 

By the sounds of it, Wanda and Gwen had vastly different experiences as superheroes. She supposed that was only natural, Wanda had been an Avenger from the beginning while Gwen worked on the streets. That said, her stories were always entertaining. Wanda couldn’t imagine super villains monologuing seriously. “Does that really happen?” She asked, laughing quietly. “I would like to hear more details about these super villains you meet. Do you think they would like to meet me?” She would absolutely love to witness it! Although adding Scarlet Witch to the mix may change their carefree demeanour. “Yes, the yellow brick road!” She agreed with a smile. Daisy had been very adamant that she watch Wizard of Oz and in order to make Daisy happy, Wanda had complied the second they were both free. “I would never leave Johnny,” she replied, a little surprised that someone could suggest it, even joking. Wanda was extremely protective over her loved ones and the idea would bother Johnny, he had a fear of abandonment. “You could forgive him for stealing your chips,” Wanda pointed out.

@thcscarletwltch

“So, I pulled some texts with mentions of pocket dimensions.” Some is… an understatement. The little coffee table they’re sat around is so fully covered in thick, old books and scrolls, some stacked precariously up to five high, that there’s barely any room left for the tray holding the matching tea set Zatanna had placed down before sitting herself. The collection even spilled onto the kitchen counter, and the coffee table in her living room, and there were a spare few in her bedroom scattered over her messy bed, not that those were visible. “Shadowcrest’s library is, well, extensive. And it’s weird because it’s technically a pocket dimension of its own, which really is something of a mind-bender that I should probably be looking into also because I can’t quite figure out if it makes sense to put a pocket in a pocket, but- these are mostly theory and application, though some are just grimoires that contain spells to create them. I figured at this point anything could help.” 

She ran out of steam towards the end, and, trying to stave off the feeling of not doing enough, sought out her next task. Standing again, Zatanna poured the tea carefully into both teacups before loading her own with an absurd amount of sugar cubes and sitting back down with a sigh. Zatanna cradled the warm tea cup to her face to smell and try to calm herself, but her eyes darted up to Wanda, the next topic on her mind wavering on her lips before spilling out. “I really do have to put my name on that list now, don’t I?”

For nearly a year, Wanda had been studying magic extensively. She had a natural gift with shellwork, and while her reality bending was a secondary mutation, the more she understood about her gifts, the better her magic became. Zatanna Zatara was gifted as well, one of the most incredible witches Wanda had the pleasure of meeting, and the knowledge she had shared was treasured — even the incredibly large stack of books. “These are going to be so useful,” she said quietly, picking up one of the books and running her fingers across the cover. “I think they’ll both help,” she agreed, listening attentively. “If we’re in a pocket dimension, I suppose that implies someone put us here, but they could be still on Earth…” Wanda said thoughtfully. “They could have placed the city with the highest concentration in a pocket dimension in order to gain control, yes?” It was a new theory, one Wanda had come up with on spot, but it hadn’t occurred to her until right that second.

With tea in her hand, Wanda forced herself to veer away from the panicked nature of the revelation that their primary adversary could be located literally in another dimension. It was difficult to defeat a villain so far away, and even more difficult to break a spell they had casted. “Thank you,” she said quietly, blowing on her tea. She noticed that Zatanna had quickly lost steam and retreated into her thoughts, though Wanda waited for her to speak. As someone unlisted, and someone whom refused to list, she didn’t entirely agree with the sentiment. “No,” Wanda replied. “Doom is not… trustworthy, and I’ve seen too many powerful people use us as weapons.” She had been manipulated by Ultron in exactly that way. “We’re both public heroes, but we can’t be forced into submission. Do you want to list?”

In a city like New York, you kind of had to roll with the punches. Luckily, Clint had always been good at that. Other people would probably find it impossible to take their dogs to the park in a city overrun by demons – something made clear by the fact that Clint and Wanda’s dogs seemed to be the only ones in the park at the moment – but for Clint, it was simple. He had his collapsible bow and a few trick arrows in his most inconspicuous bow case if he needed it, and he had Wanda at his side to ensure that he probably wouldn’t need it. There was no real reason not to continue on living his life in spite of the city’s current turmoil. Hell, if Clint stopped living his life every time New York was in turmoil, he’d probably never actually get a chance to have a life.

And he liked it, having a life. He liked sitting in the park with Wanda, liked watching their dogs chase each other around and fight over an impressively sized stick that Spock had dug up from under a bench. “Aw, Lucky’s feelin’ his age. He’s active enough when it comes to biting mob guys on the arm, but other than that he just wants to sleep.” Lucky, like Clint, valued his relaxation. Snorting as Wanda spoke, Clint shook his head. “You’ve seen older people put on a good show. Half the time, they’re scrambling.” He knew he wasn’t exactly old per say, but with the age of some of the vigilantes and heroes running around New York, he felt like he was. Half of those kids were hardly midway through their twenties, and it was more than enough to make Clint feel like a damn grandfather. “Lucky’s doing all right. He misses this takeout place just outside’a town. I think he dreams about it.” At the question, he nodded his head. “Me and Nat have been out once or twice,” he replied. “Really isn’t much to see. I think I keep figuring something’ll change out there, you know? Doesn’t seem like it’s gonna happen. How about you? You been out?”

The fear rampant in New York City was completely understandable. Wanda and Clint were superheroes, burdened by figurative the world on their shoulders, but they were also privileged with the knowledge that they could survive and fight any threat, allowing them freedom. For an average citizen, sitting in the park, exposed to the demons, and surrounded by them would be a death wish. For Clint and Wanda, it was a casual meeting. Clint was armed with a bow case beside him, Wanda had her hexes at the ready, and they were able to enjoy their lives momentarily without fear. It was a relief, and one that few people would have until they returned to Earth. Wanda pitied them, but unfortunately, there was no way she could realistically unburden New Yorkers.

Honestly, Wanda couldn’t imagine her life without these moments of careless enjoyment. She would be overrun with stress and worry, as many people were, she imagined, but she and Clint had an entire city to defend. They weren’t singlehanded, but Wanda did have the advantage of reality bender, a potentially New York saving power. “How old is Lucky?” She asked curiously, watching as he halfheartedly chased Zasha and Spock around, motivated by gaining control over the stick. “He deserves to sleep,” she added, smiling at the sight. As Clint spoke, she couldn’t help but laugh. “I think older people are just amazing at what they do,” Wanda replied. She couldn’t imagine Clint doing anything but heroics, he was born for them, though he was modest. No one else compared with Hawkeye were aim was concerned. “Are there no good take out places in town?” She asked, furrowing her brow. New York was famed for its food, surely Lucky liked another place’s food. “Well, technically things are changing… we’re getting the resources that we need slowly,” Wanda pointed out. It was important to remember that they were winning to an extent. “I go out every few days,” Wanda admitted. “The demons aren’t much threat to me and I can bring lots into the city.”

Ever since he got his powers, Johnny had felt entirely untouchable. When he was engulfed in flames, nothing could get close enough to hurt him. Bullets melted before reaching his flesh, punches slowed against a wall of heat and fire, weapons fizzled due to their proximity to him. He’d taken that for granted for a long time, figured he was invincible, infallible. His father’s death had taken all of it away in an instant. Suddenly, Johnny had gone from being a hero capable of  great feats to a kid who hadn’t even been able to keep his dad from being killed, and it had only gotten worse from there. The Skrulls had captured him, had had him in a position where they easily could have killed him. He was only alive because they’d wanted to use him, and it was hard not to feel strongly about that. When that demon had grabbed him, when it hurt him in the one way he was still positive he could never be hurt, something had shifted. Suddenly, the quiet desire to understand the scopes of his powers had become a sort of all-encompassing need, and he hadn’t been able to resist the urge to wander out into the wasteland and test it out.

Ideally, he would’ve done it all and been back home before Wanda, lounging on the couch and flipping through the channels on their television as if he’d been there all afternoon, but life didn’t always work out the way you’d planned. His smile faltered as she spoke, and he held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, not right now,” he agreed begrudgingly. He still thought he was funny. Glancing towards the demons she’d taken out, he shrugged. “Could be more,” he pointed out. She was capable of keeping them safe from anything that came their way and Johnny knew it, but out here in the wasteland, being flamed on gave him some semblance of control. He liked being able to take anything out on a moment’s notice, though with Wanda here, that became harder. He couldn’t exactly go nova in this close a proximity to her. (He wasn’t sure he could go nova again at all so soon after doing it once; he’d gone twice in a row against the Skrulls, but his emotions had been running high then in a way they certainly weren’t now. He’d also managed to go nova pretty much constantly on board their ship, but considering that had nearly killed him, he was in no hurry to try it again.) “As long as I don’t know the scope of my powers, I don’t know who I can and can’t harm. People have limitations! Being fireproof doesn’t necessarily make someone nova-proof. I’m not gonna risk hurting someone for trying to help me. And maybe — Maybe there’s some things I just don’t want an audience for.”  It felt weirdly personal, exploring his powers this way. He trusted his friends entirely, of course, but he was exploring parts of himself he wasn’t yet familiar with. What if he brought someone to help him and they didn’t like what he found? “I’m not hurt,” he pointed out. “And I’m not gonna get hurt. I can outfly these things any day of the week, you know that.”

As a woman accustomed to invulnerability, Wanda understood why Johnny felt like he was untouchable against the demons. Her shields protected her from bullets, lasers, and all other attempts at harm. Her hexes were enough to leave the majority of enemies forsaken, like with the demons no avoiding their general vicinity. Johnny’s powers were similar, protecting him and explosive enough for enemies to understand how truly outmatched they were. It sounded egotistical, but that was the reality of their capabilities, and it was not something that Wanda had ever taken entirely for granted. The fights Wanda chose to battle alone were ones she was confident she would win (or believed in enough to die for) but Johnny had no such feelings about the demons. If Johnny was out here, attempting to discover the limitations of his powers alone, Wanda assumed it was due to fear or desperation to understand why the demons could harm him. Perhaps if she were less panicked by the thought of losing people, a fear worsened after losing Pietro and made the choice to have children in the future, Johnny risking his life would have been something Wanda could approach reasonably. Being harmed wasn’t his intention, Johnny had no death wish, but instead, Wanda was terrified and angry that he had put himself into such a dangerous position needlessly.

Worst of all was that she and Johnny had made promises to each other that prevented such behaviours. They were both unnecessarily reckless, and with similar fears, they had made important promises that solidified their relationship and trust. Having those broken was admittedly difficult, Wanda put intense trust in Johnny’s hands, but he didn’t seem to understand how crucial it was for Wanda to know that he was safe. “Not right now,” she repeated, her voice lacking some of its earlier venom. Rage rarely lasted for Wanda, anger was an emotion she had always shied from due to the nature of her powers, but sadness was familiar. “I can handle anymore that come and you don’t need to be flamed on to create fire,” Wanda replied. Distance was most likely a defence mechanism for Johnny, but when Wanda felt isolated and angry, but closeness had always helped her cope with conflicting emotions. Unfortunately, it didn’t appear like Johnny was willing to make any consolation. At times, it felt like she was making more compromises than he was willing, and this would once again have to be one of those times, she supposed. Throughout the years, Wanda had grown accustomed to that. “And creating novas doesn’t make you invincible,” Wanda replied coolly. “You can explore your powers with people capable of handling whatever you’re capable of that can help you fight thousands of demons if you choose to exit the city limits. You’re risking your life by being out here and it doesn’t even seem like you care.” When Johnny mentioned not wanting an audience, Wanda’s jaw tightened. “Then find a safer place to practice,” she replied, knowing there was little else that she could argue on that point. “They can burn you,” she replied. “I was there so don’t try to claim that you won’t get hurt.” After a brief pause, Wanda asked, “Were you going to tell me that you chose to do this or were you hoping I’d never find out?” 

Though their relationship worked well, Johnny and Wanda had always been fairly different, and situations such as this provided evidence of those differences. Johnny preferred to be in the middle of a crowd, grinning as he spoke to the people around him with dramatic flair. Wanda preferred not to be among a crowd at all, though when she was with one, she stuck to the edge of things. Johnny didn’t mind it, and he was happy to join her in the corner. It meant a lot that she’d come out at all, pushed aside her distaste for things like this and accompanied him to the party for a good time.

When she smiled as he appeared at her side, he couldn’t help but smile back, holding the plate in a position that allowed her to get as many of the finger foods as she wanted. “I brought you the fanciest cheeses,” he informed her. “Yeah, I get that a lot.” The words were followed by a quick wink and a laugh before he amended it to, “I love you too.” Smile widening as her arm wrapped around him, Johnny leaned into her and picked one of the cheese cubes off the plate, popping it into his own mouth. Doom was sketchy as hell, but no one could say the guy didn’t know how to pick his cheeses. “I hope so, but we outta stay on the safe side, right? We’ll eat nothing but pasta. We can hibernate like bears!” He sounded excited at the idea, though Wanda would know him well enough to know he’d be a shitty hibernator. Johnny had a lot of pent up energy in him, as was displayed through their various ‘exercises’ every day.

In many ways, Johnny and Wanda balanced each other out. Johnny enjoyed being the centre of attention, he was energetic, impulsive, and in many ways, struggled with his feelings. Wanda was much more subdued, she preferred watching crowds, deeply connected with humanity, and she was very in touch with her emotions. Together, they made an excellent couple, and in their relationship, compromises were made. Johnny would prefer to be in the middle of the crowd, entertaining guests Wanda assumed, but he looked content at her side. It meant the world to her, reminded her that she loved everything about Johnny, including his flaws (as long they didn’t harm him).

“The fanciest cheeses,” Wanda repeated, grinning. “I’m going to give you the fanciest massage when we get home,” she informed him. As Johnny winked at her, she laughed and kissed his cheek fondly. “I know you love me,” she replied without hesitation. There was never a moment when Wanda doubted that. Johnny was as affectionate and loving as she was, a relief, considering how badly Wanda needed those displays. She picked one of the cheeses from the plate and sighed contentedly, leaning her head against Johnny in the process. “Okay, we’ll start eating pasta and collecting pillows to hibernate with.” Thanks to her boyfriends superpowers, they wouldn’t need blankets. “What do you think this party is really about?” She asked, glancing around the crowd. Doom was nowhere to be seen, but there were countless guests.

@thcscarletwltch

Despite Stark’s near constant splutterings to the contrary, Thor knew that of the Avengers, the competition of the strongest had to be between him, Wanda and Bruce. Before meeting the Scarlet Witch, Thor had been convinced that he was immune to telepathic intrusions, but yet she had found a way to not only break through those defences - defences of a god, no less - but to show him a vision of the future, a prophecy in the same line as his mother had shown their subjects in the past. He wasn’t sure if that was an extension of her reality bending powers, or if her natural talent for magic had allowed it, but either way he was fascinated. Wanda could have been the key to him saving that entire planet, and although he had ultimately failed, that did not mean that had to be the case in the future.

Even more than that, she was a kind person, determined to do the right thing, to grow from past mistakes, and to build a place for herself in what might as well be a new world to her as well. Thor found himself aligning with her easily, and that was why tonight he had not only brought himself to Avengers Tower common area, but books filled with the runes of Frigga that he could remember off the top of his head.

“I hope I am not interrupting your plans for this evening,” Thor said as he settled on the other end of the sofa, resting the books in between both of them. “My mother was a master of the mystic arts before her passing, one of the most prolific witches in all the Nine Realms. My brother picked up her teachings far more easily than I managed, but this is clearly your area of expertise. I was wondering if you would be interested in decoding these runes together.” He wasn’t entirely sure what area of magic Wanda was exploring, but he was confident in the fact that she would speak her mind if he was overstepping.

The relationships Wanda had with the Avengers were undoubtedly complicated in the beginning. The damage she had done to them was deep, she had seen the rifts between teammates as their opponent, and while Wanda wasn’t proud of it, at the time she had believed what she was doing was right. HYDRA had brainwashed her and Pietro to hate the Avengers, they had convinced her that the Avengers were dangerous threats that had to be dealt with. Unfortunately, Wanda hadn’t known any better after allying with Ultron, though inevitably, she had found her way. It was no excuse for her behaviour, of course, but it did ease Wanda’s guilt enough to build friendships with her teammates.

Due to Thor’s long absence from Earth, Wanda wasn’t as close to him as she was the other Avengers, though bonding with the god was truthfully easier. He was welcoming, openhearted, and strangely enthusiastic about her magic. After working relentlessly for roughly a year, perfecting spells, Wanda loved seeing someone as excited as she was about what she was capable of. It made her feel welcome, important, and like a deep friendship could be built between the two of them. Wanda was equally as excited about the advancements in his ability with thunder!

Though she had immense powers, it wasn’t unheard of for Daisy to feel helpless. It was a universal thing, she thought, feeling alone and afraid even when you knew you had no reason to feel that way. The best way she’d found to combat it was to surround herself with people like Wanda, people who made her feel she could take on the world. She only hoped she made her friend feel similarly. “He has,” she confirmed, looking down at the ground as she nodded. She’d wanted to see to Hive’s death herself, had insisted on climbing into the quinnjet alongside him knowing it would be a one way trip, but Lincoln had taken her place. He’d died for her, and Daisy was still trying to live with that. “I made a lot of mistakes,” she corrected quietly. “Too many. But I think — I think I can do better this time. I have to do better this time.” The difference this time was that she wasn’t going at it alone. She had Crystal leading alongside her, a trusted second opinion for every call she made. It made all the difference in the world. “It’s up to you, who you tell,” she assured Wanda. “I’m glad you told me.” It was a huge show of trust between them, and it made Daisy’s chest feel warm. 

Wanda had never personally had the weight of a team relying solely upon her. The Avengers were lead largely by Natasha and Tony, but everyone’s voice was important. All decisions were made equally across the team, all risks ones that its members were allowed to personally calculate. It was one of the reasons why Wanda genuinely enjoyed being an Avenger, and she imagined Daisy would lead similarly. “Good,” she said quietly, genuinely relieved that no person with that power was alive to manipulate it any further. “If you want to talk about your mistakes, you know I’m always here to listen, Daisy, and I’ll never judge them or you.” Wanda knew intimately about making colossal mistakes, though she didn’t admit that. Right now, she solely wanted to focus on her friend. “You’re going to do amazing,” Wanda assured her, squeezing Daisy’s hand gently. She had the utmost confidence in her friend, had never doubted her or her capability. “I’m glad I told you, too. Talking about it helps… and it may help you, too.” She couldn’t be positive it would aid Daisy in the same way, emotions were complicated, but she certainly wanted to give her the option. Without Johnny and Daisy comforting her, Wanda highly doubted she would feel as confident about the woman she had become, one wholly separate from her blood ties.

The superhero life wasn’t one that left the person living it with an abundance of free time. People were swamped pretty much constantly, and it would make sense if all heroes were the loner-type, but that wasn’t the case at all. From what Gwen had seen, most heroes had huge support systems full of people watching their backs, and she was no different. She was pretty lucky to have the Scarlet Witch as one such person, pretty lucky that she had Wanda in her corner. “Definitely,” she agreed with a nod. “I guess not having answers isn’t really a new experience, is it? You’d think that would make it easier.” When was the last time any of them had been blessed with all the answers? They’d all been scrambling for footing for years now, so it probably made sense that this wouldn’t be any different. “We definitely will be. Home before we know it, right?” God, was 616 even home for Gwen? Being lost in an alternate dimension was pretty much just her life now, even if this dimension was different than her usual one. “It’s so refreshing,” she sighed. “No dirty boxers anywhere.” She grinned, nodding her head. “Thank you.” It was nice, living with MJ again. Gwen had always taken comfort in keeping her friends close. She couldn’t help but laugh along with Wanda, shrugging a shoulder. “Because that guy is always talking about sex! I don’t think he thinks of anything else.”

Not every superhero, and not every person, had the incredible people in their lives that Wanda did. She was incredibly lucky and it was something that she never once forgot. “No, I think we’re used to be confused and hoping that we can find the threats, especially after the Skrulls,” Wanda said darkly. “Unfortunately, that’s not the case. At least we’re not distrustful of each other again,” she said with a sigh. At times the amount of dread and foreboding was exhausting, but that was when Wanda once again turned to the support network she’d been lucky enough to create. “Home before we know it,” she agreed with a smile. “Just um, do you know the Wizard of Oz saying? Click your heels?” Wanda asked, not knowing the exact wording. She had seen the movie only in fragments. “That’s great! I can’t relate at all,” she said with a laugh. Johnny wasn’t the cleanest person in the world, though he treasured his clothing. “You’re welcome,” she replied, grinning. Wanda was genuinely happy for Gwen and Stark Tower was an excellent, safe location, allowing her to worry about Gwen slightly less. “Just because Johnny is always talking about sex doesn’t mean I’m not! Besides, he does that to bother you.”

@thcscarletwltch

The world going to shit had never been a particularly new thing. Clint’s world had ended a million times since he was a kid, had imploded in a million different ways. They’d all seemed irreparable at the time, like the sort of damage that couldn’t be undone, but he’d survived them in the end. He couldn’t say with absolute certainty that he’d survive this latest onslaught of chaos, but he could do his best to try it. He could lean on the old teachings of Nick Fury, could live under the assumption that the world would keep spinning until the moment it stopped. 

That meant going about his daily life, meant doing all the things he’d usually be doing and hoping demons didn’t eat him or something while he was doing them. Today, it meant sitting in the park beside Wanda as Lucky and her two dogs chased each other around in the grass. “They’re gonna wear him out,” he commented as Zasha tackled Lucky to the ground, both dogs’ tails wagging furiously. “Lucky’s an old dude, he can’t keep up with the kids. Look at him, he’s gonna sleep like a rock tonight.” Lucky slept like a rock every night, but that was beside the point.

New York City being separated from Earth was a situation Wanda never foresaw. She intimately understood that the possible was achievable on a daily basis, but an entire city being removed from its planet was outlandish. As a woman capable of quite literally bending reality, being shocked by possibilities was undeniably ironic, but Wanda believed that it was entirely justifiable. Still, falling to pieces would achieve nothing and because of that, Wanda continued on with her daily lives. She trained daily, spent time with her friends and family and walked the dogs. Most importantly, she battled demons and secured resources from the wasteland. New York would not be so easily defeated.

Currently, Wanda was not defending her city from demons or hunting for the person behind the ingenious attack. She was meeting Clint in the park, watching as Lucky, Zasha and Spock played enthusiastically in the park with a smile on her face. “Lucky needs to be more active then,” she replied lightly. “Besides, I’ve seen people a lot older keep up with kids no problem,” Wanda added, obviously teasing. “How’s Lucky coping with everything? Been to the wasteland lately?”